Johannesburg - Kaizer Chiefs maintained their two-point lead at the top of the Premiership standings with a convincing 3-1 win over Black Leopards in Polokwane on Wednesday evening.
While Amakhosi stayed clear of second-placed Orlando Pirates, who held a game in hand, Lidoda Duvha remained hovering just above the relegation zone.
Chiefs got off to a cracking start, with Tefu Mashamaite flicking his leg out and getting a tap in to put his side ahead, after a corner from the right, in just the fourth minute.
Leopards had a double chance midway through the first half when Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune made two quick saves from an attack led by former Amakhosi player Abbas Amidu.
The stretching shot-stopper first got a hand to the ball, tipping it against the post, and then deflected it off the rebound strike.
Leopards continued to keep pressure on the league pace-setters, and Joshua Obaje equalised four minutes before half-time, slotting in from close range.
Chiefs nearly regained the lead six minutes into the second period when Mandla Masango got around Leopards keeper Azwindini Maphaha to open a gap, but he missed wide to the left from a tight angle.
Bernard Parker had an attempt from a set-piece shortly after the hour mark, but his curling free-kick was punched away by Maphaha, who was superb, particularly in the second half.
Three minutes later, however, the Leopards keeper was given no chance when Kingston Nkhatha latched onto a through ball from Reneilwe Letsholonyane and slammed the ball into the back of the net from just inside the area.
Lucky Baloyi put the result beyond doubt in injury time with his first goal of the season.
In a simultaneous fixture, Pirates beat Platinum Stars 1-0 at Orlando Stadium to stay within reach of Chiefs, while Dikwena, in third place in the table, fell slightly off the pace, three points behind. - Sapa