Golden Arrows have recorded back-to-back wins for the first time in this Betway Premiership season after they crushed Orbit College 3-0 at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Following on from their headline-grabbing 1-0 win over reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns in midweek, Abafana Bes’thende claimed another three-point haul primarily due to the excellence of Siyanda Ndlovu (formerly Mthanti), who registered two assists and a goal.

The result drives Arrows up to fifth place on the Premiership log (temporarily at least), while the Mswenko Boys suffered a sixth defeat from nine league matches and are 12th – just three points above bottom-of-the-log Siwelele FC.

Arrows got off to a flying start, claiming the lead in just the fourth minute. Sede Junior Dion had the easiest task to tap into an empty net and score his fifth goal of the season, with Ndlovu having stolen possession on the edge of the box before unselfishly teeing up his teammate.

And Ndlovu went from creator to scorer midway through the first half, doubling the hosts’ lead with a well-taken goal. A quick free kick from Philangenkosi Khumalo put Ndlovu free down the right of the box, and he drove a powerful shot into the top corner of the net for 2-0.

Despite being two goals up at halftime, Abafana Bes’thende opted for a triple change at the start of the second stanza, introducing Thabo Matlaba, Isaacs Cisse and Nduduzo Sibiya off the bench, and they had used all five substitutions by the 62 minute mark, as Jerome Karelse and Alwande Booysen also made their way into the game.

Arrows almost claimed a third goal at the midway point of the second half, with Karelse teeing up Sbonele Cele to fire off a shot from the left of the box, but Orbit goalkeeper Sabelo Nkomo made an excellent save to keep the game alive as a contest.

However, the hosts soon found the back of the net for a third time to seal a full haul of points. Ndlovu’s running and energy was again at the heart of Arrows’ attack, as he powered forward down the right of the box before setting up Karelse for an easy finish in the 72nd minute.

The Durban side did have one worrying moment in the dying minutes, as Booysen was stretchered off with a thigh injury, resulting in them seeing out the match with just 10 men.

The teams will next be in Carling Knockout action, with Orbit hosting TS Galaxy and Arrows welcoming Sekhukhune United – both next Saturday, 4 October.

Golden Arrows (2) 3 (Dion 4’, Ndlovu 23’, Karelse 72’)

Orbit College 0

ARROWS: Mbanjwa, Phillips (Matlaba 46’), Komara, Jiyane, Cele, Maxwele (Booysen 62’), Dlamini, Zwane (Cisse 46’), Ndlovu, Khumalo (Sibiya 46’), Dion (Karelse 62’)

ORBIT: Nkomo, Mkhabela, Mokgosi, Nhlapo, Jingana (Madiba 81’), Moleleki (Matsemela 67’), Batsi, Thibedi (Ngiba 81’), Khoto (Modimoeng 67’), Wagaba (Lukhele 71’), Saleng