ANDREW MUCHINERIPI, Bloemfontein | Sunday 6.30pm.
Bloemfontein Celtic … (0) 2 (Kukame 83, Gulwa 87)
Classic …………… (1) 2 (Mackett 26, Mabotja 47)
CASTLE Premiership fairytale club Classic lost a two-goal lead on Sunday at the Free State Stadium as they spurned an opportunity to rise above Orlando Pirates into third place on the 18-team national championship standings.
It looked all over for defensively-brittle Celtic when they trailed by two goals with just seven minutes left of a lively match at the sparsely-populated Bloemfontein stadium.
However, half-time substitute Peter Mphongoa had other ideas as he burst into the penalty area and squared the ball for Lebogang Kukame to hammer it into the roof of the net past helpless goalkeeper Innocent Mayoyo.
Classic were caught playing “referee” four minutes later as they stood still just inside their own half, believing slightly-built Celtic midfielder Hendrick ‘Ace’ Gulwa was offside.
The man who turned 21 on Saturday was not due to a superbly-timed run and raced away, rounded Mayoyo and calmly stroked the ball into an empty net to rescue a point for the erratic Bloemfontein team.
Classic, the rookies from the East Rand township of Tembisa who have taken the league by storm with 10 victories in 19 matches, went ahead midway through the first half when a Lincoln Mackett shot flew over Nkosana Maseko.
Defensive indecision just after half-time enabled the visitors to double their advantage as Louis Mabotja scored from close range to seemingly put the rookies in command on a hot, cloudy afternoon.
Arthur Zwane appeared to have scored a third midway through the half with a sizzling, long-range shot that entered the net via the underside of the crossbar, but the referee waved play on.