Kaizer Chiefs secured a second successive Absa Premiership win with a convincing 2-0 victory over Free State Stars at Goble Park on Tuesday night.
Only four players who started for Chiefs on Tuesday had also started against Cape Town City in the 4-1 win on Saturday as coach Giovanni Solinas freshened up his team.
After a fairly evenly balanced start to the game, Chiefs took command with two goals within nine minutes midway through the first half.
Stars did well to come back in the second half, but apart from a couple of chances, they never overly threatened to deny the Glamour Boys maximum points.
Both teams had early chances in the game: for Stars, Judas Moseamedi headed wide from a Yusuf Jappie cross, before Cheifs defender Mario Booysen mistimed a headed effort on 14 minutes.
Amakhosi took the lead via a beautiful crafted goal as Khama Billiat's superb through pass enabled Gustavo Paez to chip the ball over Badra Sangare and into the goal, despite a touch from the goalkeeper.
Stars looked to hit back with a couple of threatening attacks, but instead it was Amakhosi who added to their tally in the 34th minute when Hendrick Ekstein squared the ball for Philani Zulu, whose first touch teed up a well-struck half volley in at the near post.
Ea Lla Koto looked to get themselves back into the game after half time, but they struggled to create clear chances and had to wait until the 69th minute for an opening when Goodman Dlamini blasted a shot from a tight angle into the side-netting.
Three minutes later they came even closer when skipper Paulus Masehe's pile-driver whistled past the post.
Still Stars failed to give up and Eleazar Rodgers should really have halved the deficit eight minutes from time as he fired over the bar from right in front of goal in what proved to be the final clear chance of the night.
