GALAXY STAND FIRM AGAINST CHIEFS

IN an ill-tempered match, 10-man TS Galaxy bravely held out for a goalless draw against visiting Kaizer Chiefs in the Premiership at Mbombela Stadium yesterday.

The outcome means that Chiefs are in fifth position on the league standings, while TS Galaxy are lower down in 12th place.

Before kickoff, the teams and match officials observed a moment of silence to mark the tragic passing of 19-year-old Stellenbosch FC defender Oshwin Andries on Saturday.

Because of long queues outside the former World Cup venue, the scheduled 3.30pm kickoff was delayed by 30 minutes.

Chiefs made one change and brought in defender Zitha Kwinika to replace injured right-wing backs Reeve Frosler and Dillon Solomons. The TS Galaxy team was unchanged, as coach Sead Ramovic decided to retain the players who recorded a

4-0 victory over Golden Arrows last week.

TS Galaxy were poised to make an early breakthrough from setpiece play by former Chiefs stalwart Bernard Parker, but Amakhosi goalkeeper Brandon Peterson was alert to the danger.

At the other end, TS Galaxy’s keeper, Vasilije Kolak - a BosniaHerzegovina national - was also called on to avert danger. He pulled off a brilliant 10th-minute save from Keagan Dolly, who kept the opposition defence on their toes by constantly changing positions in the goalmouth.

Moments later, Ashley Du

Preez also had a crack at goal from close range but his shot bounced harmlessly off the central defenders.

Around the half-hour mark, Chiefs did well to open the TS

Galaxy defence and Du Preez was set free out wide.

But instead of feeding an onrushing Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana, he tried his luck from an acute angle as Kolak rushed well

off his line to smother the shot. However, Du Preez’s shot squeezed past Kolak but rolled agonisingly close to the far upright.

TS Galaxy enjoyed a slight firsthalf possession advantage, but it mattered little because they returned to the dressing-rooms empty-handed, like Chiefs, at halftime.

The opening 20 minutes of the second half was drama-filled and referee Olani Kwinda made two bookings - one red and one yellow. Surprisingly, he was lenient during

this time which produced two prolonged stoppages in play.

First TS Galaxy defender Marks Munyai was sent for an early shower in the 57th minute after a second yellow card following a terrible tackle on Bimenyimana, who was unable to continue.

He was replaced by DRC striker Christian Basomboli, who made his second appearance for Chiefs off the bench.

In the 65th minute, Chiefs’ Siyabonga Ngezana went down after

a headbutt by TS Galaxy’s Pogiso Sanoka.

Ngezana was reacting after Pogiso hacked Mduduzi Shabalala down with a crunching tackle.

All the main characters of this piece of drama went scot-free and only Petersen was shown a yellow card for running up the field to join the fracas.

In the rest of the match, there was a raft of close calls but in the end, defence triumphed over attack, in this stalemate.