Absa Premiership
Full time: Maritzburg United 1-1 Bloemfontein Celtic
Date: 19 March 2014
Venue: Harry Gwala Stadium
Thokozani Sekotlong’s opener was cancelled out by Frank Mhango as Maritzburg United and Bloemfontein Celtic played to a 1-1 draw in an Absa Premiership match at the Harry Gwala stadium on Wednesday night.
The opening 45 minutes was certainly not void of goal mouth action – what it did miss was clinical finishing as both teams squandered numerous chances in front of goal.
Maritzburg’s Orlando Smeekes had the first effort on goal in the fifth minute, but saw his shot from just outside the box punched clear by Patrick Tignyemb.
Celtic had their first shot on goal two minutes later when Musa Nyatama let loose from long range, but Shu-Aib Walters made a good save.
In the tenth minute Clayton Daniels tried his luck from the edge of the box, but saw his shot go just wide of the post.
Two minutes later Nyatama was denied yet again by Walters while moments later Frank Mhango fired agonisingly wide of the Maritzburg goal from just inside the box.
In the 16th minute Smeekes caused a couple of headaches for the Team of Choice’s defence when he beat one defender before seeing his shot from distance skim the wrong side of the post.
Seven minutes later Tignyemb had to be at his best when he turned a shot from Smeekes around the post.
In the 27th minute Tignyemb produced another good save when he parried a strike from Kurt Lentjies away from danger.
Four minutes later Lentjies fired a shot from an acute angle on the left into the side netting.
Maritzburg also had the last say of the half as Ryan de Jong saw his shot from the edge of the box skim the top of the crossbar in the 44th minute.
The half ended 0-0.
The start of the second half saw Maritzburg come out the blocks firing and they took the lead a minute after the restart when Thokozani Sekotlong headed home a Bongolethu Jayiya free-kick, 1-0.
Celtic tried to hit back right away, but Mhango shot narrowly wide in the 50th minute.
In the 67th minute Walters produced a fine stop, making a fingertip save to deny Lerato Lamola from just inside the box.
Ten minutes later Celtic made their pressure tell when Mhango found the equaliser after turning home a Nyatama pass, 1-1
Neither side could go on to find the winner as the two teams shared the spoils.
