Collins Mbesuma held his nerve from the penalty spot at a wet and windy Makhulong Stadium on Friday evening to hand Highlands Park a crucial 1-0 league win over Chippa United.
The victory lifts the Tembisa club up to 14th place, while the Chilli Boys drop into the drop zone, sitting above only Baroka FC, who play Golden Arrows on Saturday.
Neither side were able to get on top for what was a tense opening 45 minutes between the relegation battlers in a match that kicked off 45 minutes late due to power outages on a stormy night.
There was an opening for Chilli Boys marksman Lerato Manzini in the 14th minute, but Highlands keeper Marlon Heugh did well to close down the angle quickly.
Time seemed to stand still on 33 minutes when Mbesuma rose majestically at the back post and headed the ball goalwards, but the ball went the wrong side of the goal.
In the only other action of the half, Chippa skipper Andile Mbenyane looked to curl a 25-yard effort into the top corner, but Heugh was up to the task with an acrobatic save.
There was little change to the complexion of the game after the restart as the action on the field and the atmosphere in the stands remained tense.
The first chance of the second half came on 58 minutes when Chilli Boys keeper Daniel Akpeyi did well to tip Seun Ledwaba’s shot around the post.
It was Ledwaba who made the breakthrough for the home team when he drove into the box and was seemingly tripped by Justice Chabalala, allowing Mbesuma to smash home the resultant penalty to give the hosts a 65th minute lead.
Peter Shalulile could have doubled the lead five minutes later but shot into the side-netting. Making use of whatever time-wasting tactics they could and picking up a succession of yellow cards, Highlands desperately threw bodies on the line as Chippa came pouring forward in the driving rain trying to avoid sinking into the relegation zone.
Chances did come for the visitors, but Manzini had a shot scrambled away before David Zulu went close with a header five minutes from time before some more backs-to-the-walls defending from the Lions of the North made sure of maximum points. – African News Agency (ANA)
