Sundowns do the league double over Chippa

DStv Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns made it 10 wins on the spin after they beat Chippa United 2-1 at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday night.

Goals in each half from Teboho Mokoena (14') and Peter Shalulile (67') took Rulani Mokwena's side 13 points clear of closest challengers SuperSport United, although the Chilli Boys managed to pull one back through Thabiso Lebitso late on.

Bafana ba Style emerged 1-0 victors in the reverse fixture which sparked a nine-match winning streak, with Chippa having never come out on top in their 19 previous league meetings.

The Eastern Cape outfit competed for possession in the early stages but Sundowns went on to boss proceedings and had their first sight at goal on 10 minutes when Cassius Mailula headed wide at the near post after getting on the end of Sphelele Mkhulise cross from the left.

The hosts were celebrating the opener just four minutes later, however, as Mokoena met Aubrey Modiba's free-kick and steered his header into the top right corner of the net to register his first goal of the season.

Morgan Mammila's team almost found an immediate response but Ronwen Williams was on hand to deny Etiosa Ighodaro, who found space for a shot from outside the area on the quarter-hour mark.

Lloyd Kazapua was called into action 10 minutes before halftime to save Modiba's snapshot after he did well to control the ball inside the box to fashion space for himself.

Mailula then showed good control on 41 minutes to bring the ball down with his back towards goal and tee up Marcelo Allende on the edge of the area but the Chilean's strike flew narrowly wide of the goal.

Downs threatened to double their lead three minutes after the restart as Mkhulise flashed a first-time shot inches wide of the left post from the edge of the box.

But they weren't making much headway as the second half progressed and Mokwena brought on Peter Shalulile, Lesedi Kapinga and Gaston Sirino before the hour mark to inject more urgency into their play.

Two of the substitutes combined to make a swift impact, with Sifiso Ngobeni sending in a pin-point cross for Shalulile to head home his seventh goal of the campaign on 67 minutes.

The visitors had managed just one shot at goal up until that point but they kicked into gear after conceding a second and Thabiso Lebitso cleared the target with an effort from a tight angle on the right in the 69th minute before Siphelele Luthuli also failed to keep his shot down from range moments later.

Renaldo Maarman was also guilty of failing to test Williams from range on 74 minutes and Lebitso skied another attempt from inside the box shortly afterwards.

Chippa continued to ramp up the pressure in the closing stages as Luthuli produced a save out of Williams with a strike from inside the area on 78 minutes, while Roscoe Pietersen fired over the crossbar from a 79th-minute corner.

Their efforts were finally rewarded in the second minute of stoppage time when Lebitso made contact with Maarman's cross to guide his header past Williams to halve the deficit.

Mamelodi Sundowns (1) 2 (Mokoena 14', Shalulile 67')

Chippa United (0) 1 (Lebitso 90+2')

Mamelodi Sundowns: R. Williams, K. Mudau, M. Mvala, R. De Reuck, A. Modiba (S. Ngobeni 66'), M. Allende, T. Mokoena, S. Mkhulise (S. Mbule 65'), T. Zwane (G. Sirino 56'), H. Domingo (L. Kapinga 56'), C. Mailula (P. Shalulile 56').

Chippa United: L. Kazapua, Z. Mdunyelwa, J. Chabalala, R. Pietersen, S. Kammies, S. Mkhize, T. Lebitso, A. Mbenyane (S. Luthuli 60'), B. Poggenpoel (R. Maarman 61'), A. Matrose, E. Ighodaro (E. Kambindu 46').