Posted on October 29, 2011 20:42
Free State Stars were rampant in the second half to secure a 3-1 win over Golden Arrows in their PSL clash in Bethlehem on Saturday.
Arrows goalkeeper Helton da Rocha was first troubled in the 18th minute when he was forced to make two saves, denying Nigerian striker Daniel Agbagwu and Edward Manqele in quick succession.
The visitors hit back, however, coming close midway through the opening stanza when Stars keeper Kennedy Mweene stretched to tip a Siyabonga Nkosi shot over the bar. Both sides pushed forward, and the hosts were successful shortly before the break when Mweene fired in a penalty after Musa Bilankulu was found to have handled the ball in the area.
Two minutes after the break, Agagwu hit the upright, but Mzikayise Mashaba made up for it soon after, connecting with a cross from Katlego Mashego to hit the back of the net and stretch the gap.
Mashego was again one of the protagonists when he latched on to a pass from Agbagwu in the 56th minute, thundering his effort in to give the home side a 3-0 lead. Arrows showed some fight in the latter stages, with Nkosi scoring from a free kick midway through the second half. Seven minutes later, Thamsanqa Gabuza came close to narrowing the gap even further, but his header hit the crossbar as Stars pocketed three points.