|
Celtic ease relegation fears
27/04/2008 18:14 - (SA)
Durban - Bloemfontein Celtic eased their relegation worries when they beat fellow relegation candidates Thanda Royal Zulu 3-0 in an Absa Premiership fixture played at the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu on Sunday.
Celtic led 1-0 at half-time.
A well taken goal in the seventh minute by Lebohang Kukame gave Celtic the lead.
Kukame beat Royal Zulu goalkeeper Arni Arason with a left footed rocket that flew into the roof of the net. But there was a question mark against the home side's defence that failed to cut out Gary Goldstone's left wing cross which Kukame volleyed home.
Arason, who was the busier of the two keepers, did well to deny Kukame a second goal after 14 minutes. Royal Zulu woke up and a minute later when striker Bernard Parker shaved the crossbar with a thunderous shot.
Royal Zulu's downfall was the failure of their strikers to put the Celtic defence under pressure. Their top marksman Serge Djiehoua should have done better when in a good position but his weak header from close range went wide of the upright on 33 minutes.
Arason pulled off a brilliant point blank save from Kleinbooi Taaibos five minute from the break.
Parry his close range header
Celtic started off the second half the same way they ended the first by attacking their hosts. Arason made a timely save from a fiercely struck shot from Petrus Mahlatsi a minute after the restart and 10 minutes later did well to fist Moses Spandeel's free kick over his crossbar.
Djiehoua almost equalised after 59 minutes when Celtic's veteran goalkeeper Simon Gopane could only parry his close range header. Lucky for Gopane, the loose ball was scrambled to safety. Gopane thwarted the Ivory Coast striker again four minutes later.
In between Mahlatsi who has spent much of the season injured wasted a glorious chance to make it 2-0 in the 62nd minute when, with the goal at his mercy, he shot wide.
But Spandeel made the three points save when his thunderbolt gave Arason no chance in the 66th minute to make it 2-0.
Taaibos put the cherry on top when he scored from an acute angle in the 72nd minute to ensure Celtic scored their first win in 10 games and virtually end their relegation worries.
- SAPA
|
