BETHLEHEM – A 2-1 defeat to Free State Stars at Goble Park on Wednesday evening has left Golden Arrows without a win in their last eight league matches.
All three goals came in an action-packed second half, Stars going 2-0 up before having to survive a late onslaught from Clinton Larsen's team.
The Durban side had the first chance of the evening when Siphelele Magubane fired a seventh-minute free-kick wide.
But as proceedings wore on Stars were to take control of the game and Arrows found themselves having to throw bodies on the line to keep their goal intact.
Abafana bes'Thende did, however, have another opportunity on the half-hour mark some nice combination play saw the ball worked to Magubane, but his finishing was wayward.
Thabo Molefe also missed the target for Arrows 10 minutes later, Stars having the last chance of the half when Mohammed Anas made space to shoot but was off the mark.
Stars began the second half with purpose and they drew first blood in the 49th minute when Anas picked out Goodman Dlamini, who was able to toe-poke the ball into the goal.
The lead was extended just eight minutes later when Sinethemba Jantjie fired home from a free kick.
It took just a minute though for Arrows to pull a goal back after Zolani Nkombelo teed up Magubane to score on the hour mark.
Arrows came storming back and were close when Lionel Mutizwa sent a free kick marginally wide.
The pressure continued to come from the KZN outfit, but Ea Lla Koto were able to hang on through to full time, including an additional seven minutes, for their first win in five league outings.