Swallows swoop to stun Chiefs and grab relegation boost
Bongani Sam grabbed the winner for the Dube Birds.
Swallows FC’s Bongani Sam celebrates scoring against Chiefs. Picture: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix.
Swallows took a giant leap towards safety from relegation and all-but thwarted Kaizer Chiefs’ chances of finishing second in the DStv Premiership with a 2-1 win on Monday afternoon.
The game finished on a sour note, however with Swallows midfielder Keegan Allen collapsing after a collision with Dillon Solomons. He needed to be rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
The Dube Birds needed a win to put some good distance between them and the relegation places and the win at Peter Mokaba Stadium puts them in good stead to avoid relegation this season.
Chiefs, who are in the chase for the second spot which guarantees Caf Champions League participation next season, did little to keep their hopes alive.
They now trail Orlando Pirates – who currently hold hhe spot – by five points. Pirates and SuperSport United, who are third, have a game in hand on Chiefs.
If Pirates win against Royal AM on Wednesday, they will stretch their lead and make it impossible for Chiefs to overtake them.
Swallows showed more hunger than Chiefs in his game and took the lead just seven minutes into the game. Gregory Damons ran past a few Chiefs defenders before blasting a shot past an advancing Itumeleng Khune.
Khune made an excellent save to deny Kagiso Malinga and Swallows the second goal in the 18th minute.
Malinga got in a a good header from a corner, trying to get it past the near post. But the veteran keeper stretched his leg out and diverted the ball away.
Chiefs got the equaliser in the 23rd minute as they failed to defend a free kick, allowing Christian Saile to run in unmarked and connect with Mduduzi Shabalala’s cross.
Swallows took the lead again in the 33rd minute, also from a set piece. Chiefs failed to defend a corner and the ball ended up falling Bongani Sam’s way and he nodded it past Khune.
Denied by the woodwork
Siyabonga Ngezana almost got Chiefs back in the game in the 39th minute when, again from a corner, he was afforded a free header. His effort, however, hit the post and went wide.
Saile, who tends to be selfish at times, wasted what could have been a perfect scoring chance in the 53rd minute.
He was sent trough and had Ashley Du Preez as a perfect option on the left, but tried to dribble past Kwanda Mngonyama and the ball was easily wrestled from him and kicked out for a corner.
From the resultant place kick, Ngezana again hit the upright with a header.
While both teams had some promising chances towards the end, none could utilise them to good effect.
