Gordinho help Chiefs sink Maritzburg

Kaizer Chiefs were made to work hard for their win over Maritzburg United, a 91st minute goal sealing a 3-2 Absa Premiership victory at the FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.

Amakhosi had been 2-0 up after 36 minutes thanks to goals from Willard Katsande and Camildine Abraw, only for United to score in the 43rd and 49th minutes through Thamsanqa Teyise and Evans Rusike, before Lorenzo Gordinho netted a stoppage time winner.

The hosts took only five minutes to claim the lead, Katsande netting from the penalty spot after Abraw was brought down in the box by Maritzburg United’s Belgian keeper Glenn Verbauwhede.

The Team of Choice were, however, to fire a warning shot 10 minutes later when Rusike's effort flew inches wide of Riyaad Pieterse's goal.

Chances were then exchanged as Abraw sent a header over the bar before Kurt Lentjies forced Pieterse into making a save, Siphiwe Tshabalala also going really close when his free-kick landed on the roof of the net.

Lentjies had another chance for the visiting side, but it was Steve Komphela’s team who were to score next, Abraw netting with a header from George Lebese's 37th minute cross.

But the two-goal cushion was only to last for six minutes as the Team of Choice struck back through Teyise, who nodded in from Deolin Mekoa's inviting cross.

Just four minutes after the restart and the KZN side were back on level terms thanks to Rusike, the Zimbabwean finishing coolly after a mistake in the Amakhosi defence.

Chances then followed for both clubs as Tshabalala fired into the side-netting before Rusike shot wide and then Abraw missed by a few inches.

Amakhosi goal minder Pieterse was asked to make a superb double save 13 minutes from time to keep out both Lentjies and Philani Zulu, with Maritzburg still fighting for a winner.

But instead it was Gordinho who was to worsen bottom-of-the-table Maritzburg United’s plight when he scored in added time, again with a header.

Kaizer Chiefs (2) 3 (Katsande 5’ pen, Abraw 37’, Gordinho 90+1’)

Maritzburg United (1) 2 (Teyise 43’, Rusike 49’)

Chiefs: Pieterse, Moleko, Gordinho, Xulu (Parker 63’), Masilela, Katsande, Baloyi, Tshabalala, Maluleka (Ekstein 55’), Lebese (Twala 43’), Abraw

Maritzburg: Verbauwhede, Mogapi, Mngonyama, Teyise, P. Zulu (Banda 90’), Booysen, Nene, M. Mekoa (Nale 71’), Lentjies, D. Mekoa, Rusike