Bevan Fransman proved the central figure as the former Bloemfontein Celtic skipper returned in the colours of Maritzburg United and helped them to a 1-0 victory in Wednesday’s Absa Premiership clash in the Free State capital.
Kurt Lentjies, another former Celtic player, got the decisive goal seven minutes into the second half as the club from the Midlands banished the trauma of last year’s battle against relegation.
The 32-year-old Fransman came close to opening the scoring and then made a goal saving tackle at the other end in a spirited performance as he sent out a clear message to his former employers that they might have been a bit hasty in letting him go. He won the man of the match award aftewards.
A fifth minute free kick from Kurt Lentjies saw Fransman sneak around the back of the home defence to head goalward, only for Patrick Tignyemb to deny him a glorious return to Bloemfontein with a point-blank save.
Tignyemb had to make a similar stop 12 minutes layer when Brian Onyango headed goalward another Lentjies free kick as the Celtic defence got their marking all wrong.
But that was the extent of the first half chances in scrappy affair until right on the stroke of half-time when Celtic’s overlapping fullback Mthokozisi Dube’s cross found Lyle Lakay with the goal at his mercy only for Fransman to put his body on the line and get in the way of the shot to rescue the situation for Maritzburg.
The goal came after a power drive from Blessing Moyo, Maritzburg’s new Zimbabwean international, which Tignyemb could only parry with his knee and Lentjies was quickest to the rebound.
Sheldon van Wyk opened the game up for Maritzburg after coming on at half-time but both sides faded as the game closed with match fitness still a little short.
Celtic did have a chance when the ball fell kindly for Dumisani Zuma in the 83rd minute but he got caught by the pace of the ball and wasted the chance.
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