A first goal from Lucky Baloyi in the South African top flight proved to be the winner as Kaizer Chiefs beat Black Leopards 2-0 in an Absa Premiership match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Sunday afternoon.

The Phefeni Glamour Boys second goal was scored by Lehlohonolo Majoro as the three points was the perfect birthday president for the club’s chairman Kaizer Motaung Snr.

The opening 45 minutes was dominated by the mighty Amakhosi, but for all their possession and pressure they couldn’t find the back of the Leopards net thanks to some great goalkeeping from Postnett Omony.

The half started a little slowly but soon sprang into life in the 14th minute after a nice interchange of passes by Chiefs saw Siphiwe Tshabalala set-up Lucky Baloyi on the edge of the box, but his volley was superbly saved by Omony diving full stretch to his right.

Nine minutes later and the Bafana Bafana left winger tested the Leopards keeper again and again he was up to the task. Tshabalala fired a powerful low drive goalwards from the edge of the box, but Omony did brilliantly diving to his left to make the save.

In the 28th minute Sthembiso Ngcobo found himself through on goal and with only the keeper to beat, but Omony was quickly off his line to smother the attacker. The ball, though, rebounded to Tshabalala who fired over the crossbar with the keeper out of position and an empty net at his mercy.

Tshabalala was again in the thick of action two minutes later with a thunderbolt from 25-yards out that finally beat the keeper, but struck the right-hand post and bounced away from danger.

Leopards were virtually non-existent in attack in the first half, but a mistake from Brent Lawler (making his Chiefs debut) in the 39th minute allowed Rodney Ramagalela to steal the ball from him and drive forward, but his 25-yard shot, while having the beating of Arthur Bartman, went agonisingly wide of the target.

The second 45 saw Chiefs continue in the same fashion as the first; on top and controlling matters in the midfield and thus on the field of play.

Still, however, despite all their possession in the second half, again, they were not making the most of it as they opted largely to shoot from long range with little effect.

Eventually, in the 60th minute the Amakhosi were able to make the pressure pay when a swift counter-attack saw George Lebese play Lucky Baloyi into some space just inside the left side of the box and a left-footed shot from the Amakhosi man finally beat Omony, 1-0.

19 minutes later and Chiefs sealed victory with their second goal, scored by Lehlohonolo Majoro. This time Baloyi turned provider when he supplied a well driven pass across the face of the Leopards goal and all Majoro had to do was toe-poke the ball into a gaping net from a couple yards out, 2-0.

That is the way the match ended as the win sees the Phefeni Glamour boys up to second on the PSL log while the loss for Leopards sees them remain second from bottom on the table.

Teams

Leopards: Omony; Kwena, Mabusela, Nyirenda, Xakane, Bobe, Monama (Mabunda 48’), Banda, Madimba (Sibeko 87’), Ramagalela, Lungu (Mongalo 76’)

Chiefs: Bartman; Molekwane, Sweswe, Lawler, Jambo, Lebese (Mateba 74’), Baloyi, Nengomasha, Tshabalala, Ngcobo (Majoro 65), Parker (Letsholonyane 65’)