Swallows squandered the chance to go top of the DStv Premiership table when they played to a 1-1 draw against Chippa United at the Volkswagen Dobsonville Stadium on Wednesday night.

The result leaves them in second place on the table with 26 points, tied with leaders Mamelodi Sundowns but with an inferior goal difference. Chippa, on the other hand, are in 13th place.

Swallows started the match well and dominated the midfield battle with slick passing and no-nonsense tackling.

It wasn’t long before the Birds took the lead with some swift play resulting in Ruzaigh Gamildien finding the back of the net in the 11th minute with a pin-point shot from just inside the box.

With things clearly not going their way Chippa employed a tactical substitution seven minutes later when Ryan Rae left the field and was replaced by Ayabulela Konqobe.

Swallows almost doubled their lead on the half hour mark when Wandisile Letlabika met a corner-kick with a strong header, but his effort skimmed the wrong side of the woodwork.

Chippa were virtually non-existent in attack in the opening 45 minutes, but ended strong with the final effort coming from Andile Mbenyane as he fired a 22-yard free-kick just over the crossbar.

The half ended 1-0 in favour of the home side.

Chippa came out strong in the second half and almost drew level in the 70th minute when a shot by Mbenyane from the edge of the box struck the crossbar.

Five minutes later Chippa did find the equaliser when a thunderbolt from substitute Kurt Lentjies found the corner of the net.

Neither side could find a winner in the final 15 minutes as the match ended all-square.

Swallows (1) 1 (Gamildien 11’)
Chippa (0) 1 (Lentjies 75’)

Swallows: Vries, Hlanti, Letlabika, Ngcobo, Mere, Thibedi, Mthethwa, Seabi (Mhlongo 81’), Mbokoma (Nyatama 76’), Gamildien, Sekgota [Makhanya 46’ (Mosadi 64’)].

Chippa: Mtshali, Hanamub, Nsabiyumva, Nhlapo, Mobbie (Lentjies 62’), Mokhele (Laffor 61’), Rae (Konqobe 18’), Mdlinzo, Maloisane, Nga (Kwem 75’), Mbenyane.