Black Leopards were handed their first defeat in the Absa Premiership as Kaizer Chiefs went to the top of the table after winning 2-1 in a league match at Soccer City on Wednesday night.
 
Bernard Parker and Siphiwe Tshabalala scored a goal in each half for the Amakhosi while a former Chiefs man in Brian Abbas Amidu scored the consolation goal for Leopards in the final minute of the match.
 
The Amakhosi dominated the match from the outset, and only for small period in the first half were they ever in danger of conceding. But besides from that it was all Chiefs and the visitors were a little lucky to escape with the concession of only two goals.
 
The Glamour Boys made their intentions clear from the first whistle and were unlucky not to take the lead in the fourth minute.
 
Siphiwe Tshabalala supplied a pin point corner-kick to find the towering Tefu Mashamaite, but the defender saw his header from 12-yards out bounce off the crossbar.
 
Eight minutes later and the Glamour Boys were awarded the perfect opportunity to take the lead when George Lebese was pulled down inside the box by Ernot Dzaga and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
 
Parker stepped up and made no mistake with the penalty to score his fifth goal of the season and his side’s first of the night, 1-0.
 
Chiefs seemed to relax a bit after going in front and Leopards managed to create a couple chances of their own.
 
In the 20th minute some sloppy defending allowed Raymond Monama a free shot on the edge of the box but he fired inches wide of the post.
 
And in the 36th minute it took the heroics of Siboniso Gaxa to keep his side in the lead as he slid in front of a Rodney Ramagalela cross, which had he missed Thabo Mongalo would surely have tapped home from a couple yards out.
 
After that Chiefs took control of the game yet again and were dictating terms going into the break.
 
The second half saw Chiefs creating chance after chance, the first coming in the 53rd minute. Some swift passing on the edge of the box saw Parker with an opportunity from 14-yards out, but he pulled his shot wide.
 
Eight minutes later and Parker was in the thick of the action again, this time dribbling his way past the last defender on the edge of the box, but he failed to beat the keeper in a one-on-one situation.
 
Finally, in the 70th minute Chiefs were able to find their second goal.
 
Tshabalala picked up ball on the edge of the box, dribbled past two players and then calmly passed the ball into the back of net from 14-yards out, 2-0.
 
Leopards tried to find their way back into the game and they created a nervous few minutes for Chiefs as Brian Abbas Amidu scored a goal for Leopard a minute form time.
 
But it was too little too late for Leopards as chiefs walked away victorious.