A 94th-minute goal from Wayde Jooste helped Golden Arrows complete a 1-0 smash-and-grab against struggling Baroka FC in a lively Premiership encounter at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday night.
The home side had the better of the exchanges, and will be bitterly disappointed at the result, which leaves them sitting just one point above the relegation zone – with six games to play this season.
Baroka made a bright start and were on top for the opening 15 minutes, during which time Arrows keeper Maximilian Mbaeva was tested with some dangerous aerial balls into the box.
Chances followed, but the hosts were unable to capitalise as Tebogo Sodi pulled a shot wide from just eight yards out, before Lawrence Ntswane went close with a header from a corner.
Arrows grew stronger as the first half wore on, although their only real opening came on the half-hour mark when Siyabonga Dube narrowly missed picking out the bottom corner of the net with a well-connected header.
For the most part, though, first half play was scrappy, the match punctuated by some crunching tackles from both teams, including a very nasty foul by Goodman Mosele on Nkanyiso Mngwengwe, which ended the Arrows defender’s night.
Mosele was lucky to receive a yellow card rather than a red, and home coach Wedson Nyirenda immediately subbed the hot-headed youngster with Mduduzi Mdatsane.
The Limpopo team came out playing with purpose after the interval and after Abafana bes’Thende defender Nkosinathi Sibisi nearly put the ball in his own net on 50 minutes, Jemondre Dickens was almost on target with a header from the resultant corner.
More opportunities followed for Baroka as a Collins Makgaka cross nearly snuck in at the back post, before Dickens missed with another header and then Makgaka’s near post drive drew a save from Mbaeva with 15 minutes to play.
Jooste was, however, to sound a warning when he fired an 85th-minute volley just over the bar.
Smash & Grab
A cracking goal in the final minute of referee’s additional time from Wayde Jooste saw us secure 3 points in our game against Baroka FC. https://t.co/VYo2LW2XCc #AbsaPrem #DurbanHasMore #BuildingTheBrand pic.twitter.com/kV9WfgZ56M
— Golden Arrows FC (@goldenarrowsfc1) March 13, 2019
And it was the same player who was to punish Baroka right at the death when he picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area, and buried a sensational shot into the top corner.
The win moves Steve Komphela’s side up to 28 points, with a top-eight finish now a possibility rather than a possible brush with the relegation battle – which their recent poor form had been suggesting.