Cape Town — Relegation-threatened Marumo Gallants benefitted hugely from playing their DStv Premiership home game in Bloemfontein on Wednesday when they ran out convicning 3-1 winners against Royal AM.
Thousands of fans, many dressed in the colours of the now-defunct Bloemfontein Celtic, celebrated the return of top-flight football to the province, and they roared their support for Gallants from start to finish.
Ironically the crowd did not cheer the KZN visitors Royal AM because they bought Celtic's Premiership franchise two seasons ago. The way the animated supporters took up the role of 12th man for Gallants suggested they are still bitter that the Bloemfontein franchise moved to Durban.
It was the first time in two years that the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein hosted a Premiership game.
The way Gallants started the match and their performance in the opening 10 minutes made a mockery of their rock-bottom position on the Premiership standings. They outplayed Royal AM, and it was not surprising when they took the lead in the 11th minute.
Lesiba Nku, playing as an attacking midfielder out on the left in the side's 4-2-3-1 formation, showed great composure in front of goal when he unleashed a cracking drive from the edge of the opposition's penalty area for the opening score in the match.
Gallants fuelled by the rousing non-stop support streaming in from the stands continued to attack for the next 20 minutes but failed to reap a reward.
Towards the end of the first half, Royal gained the upper hand and enjoyed several half-chances, but it was spurned, and Gallants' lead remained intact by the time referee Cedrick Muvhali blew for halftime.
Early in the second half, Royal AM's efforts to land the equaliser were thwarted when the crossbar held out a header by Mozambique-born midfielder Domingues.
It was a let-off for Gallants and they should have capitalised on their good fortune moments later but they wasted two goalscoring chances in quick succession on either side of the hour mark.
Royal AM scored the equaliser from a free-kick by substitute Mfundo Thikazi a few minutes ahead of the final whistle.
In a rather dramatic finish, Gallants snatched a last-gasp goal through Ivorian Cheick Bamba Soumahoro in the final minute of relegation time.
More drama followed deep into extra time when Mahlatse Makudubela scored Gallants' final goal to make it 3-1.
IOL Sport