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Cape Town - Bloemfontein Celtic claimed their first win of the Absa Premiership campaign with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Golden Arrows at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium on Sunday.
Celtic took the lead after just 39 seconds. Arrows gave the ball away sloppily in midfield and Phunya Sele Sele countered quickly, with the ball being played by Tebogo Potsane through to Ndumiso Mabena, who took a couple of touches before unleashing a sweetly-struck low drive from outside the box, which found the bottom right-hand corner.
The hosts were all over Arrows like a bad rash and doubled their lead in the 13th minute. Potsane played the ball in to the feet of Menzi Masuku on the left-hand edge of the box, with the winger cutting inside past a couple of Arrows defenders and finding the bottom right-hand corner with a clinical finish.
Arrows had their first decent attempt of the game against the run of play in the 32nd minute. Danny Venter cut in from the right-hand side on to his left foot and his shot took a wicked deflection, forcing Celtic goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane in to a stunning save.
Five minutes before the interval, Abafana Bes'thende won a free-kick on the edge of the box but Sphamandla Sabelo curled the free-kick narrowly over the bar.
There was still time for Arrows striker Knox Mutizwa to have two good opportunities before the break. First, his attempted lob was the right idea but slightly under-hit. Then, Michael Gumede played him in behind the defence but Mabokgwane did well to come off his line and thwart the Zimbabwean.
Arrows coach Steve Komphela would have been livid with his side for conceding on the stroke of half-time. Having pushed numbers forward in search of a goal, Abafana Bes'thende were badly caught out on the break, as the ball was worked from right to left before Mabena played in Harris Tchilimbou down the left-hand side of the box, who finished unerringly in to the bottom left-hand corner on his left foot.
Shortly after the interval, Arrows won a free-kick on the right-hand side and Venter curled it in to the box, with the ball evading everyone and almost sneaking in at the back post but it was tipped behind by Mabokgwane.
Mabena was causing the visitors' defence plenty of problems and found himself with a lot of space in the area in the 50th minute, but could not beat Edmore Sibanda, who got down smartly to his right to make the save.
The hosts grabbed their fourth in the 55th minute when Mzwanele Mahashe headed home Mabena's corner to the back post.
Phunya Sele Sele almost had a fifth five minutes later when they broke quickly on the counter-attack before the ball was worked towards Tchilimbou, who cut inside past his marker but leant back on his effort slightly as it sailed over the bar.
In the 62nd minute, Masuku back-heeled the ball in to the path of Tchilimbou, who brought a fantastic save out of Sibanda as Lehlonolo Seema's men continued to push for a fifth.
Andile Fikizolo then forced Sibanda to tip the ball over his bar with a fiercely struck right-footed effort.
After numerous opportunities, Phunya Sele Sele got their fifth when Maloisane Ramasimong released Fikizolo through on goal, who slotted the ball past the goalkeeper for the cherry on the top.
