It was far from convincing but Steve Komphela and his Kaizer Chiefs silenced their doubters and turned the jeers of their own supporters into cheers with a 2-0 triumph against Maritzburg United – their second win in succession in a space of three days.

Chiefs put United to the sword in their Premiier Soccer League match on Saturday night with first-half goals from Lorenzo Gordinho and William Twala to extinguish the earlier “Steve Must Go” chants that rang around the FNB Stadium after Chiefs' 1-1 draw against Platinum Stars in their first home match of the season last weekend.

Those chants were not heard when Chiefs got off the mark with a 1-0 win over Highlands Park in Tembisa on Wednesday and they certainly died a further death with this result – a seventh home win over United in 11 encounters in Johannesburg since the 2004-05 season and the fourth win in the last six over the team from KwaZulu-Natal.

But the air of fretfulness‚ of something not quite right and of uncertainty over how Komphela wants his team to play continues.

That Chiefs' coach named his fourth different starting line-up in as many matches is proof that he is struggling to settle on a regular line-up‚ thus affecting the team's rhythm and combinations.

After a lukewarm start‚ as Maritzburg were first to get out of the blocks quickly and had already sent in two shots on target in the opening five minutes‚ Chiefs took the game by the scruff of its neck with first half goals from defender Gordinho and midfielder Twala to put Amakhosi in a commanding position going into the break at a near-empty FNB Stadium.

Amakhosi found the back of the net as Gordinho towered over his markers to head home the opening goal in the 19th minute and give the home side the lead.

Twala doubled the score with a sumptuous finish on the stroke of half time after an assist from the much-criticised playmaker Hendrick Ekstein to hand Chiefs their first win of the season on their home turf and their second in the space of three days.

It was the visitors who were first to threaten as Ernst Middendorp's men had already sent in two efforts on target inside the opening five minutes and had a goal disallowed 10 minutes later.

Philani Zulu tested Khune soon after kick-off with a long-range effort‚ with Bevan Fransman climbing over his markers only to see his header cleared off the line shortly afterwards.

Bevan Fransman thought he had put the visitors ahead in the 17 minute with a bullet header at the far post but the lanky defender was flagged for a push on Mulomowandau Mathoho. Two minutes later Chiefs had worked the ball upfield for Gordinho’s opener.

It was all United could offer in the first half as Amakhosi started to string passes together and started to look dangerous each time they surged forward.

Goal-scoring chances were far and few between in the second half. Despite a couple of saves from man-of-the-match Itumeleng Khune to deny Kurt Lentjies‚ Chiefs were dominant with Ekstein missing two clear-cut chances late in the match.

Chiefs’ indifferent start to the season has been a source of great consternation for their supporters and a source of much hilarity for opposition fans.

But that changed on Saturday as Komphela's charges joined Orlando Pirates (first)‚ Bidvest Wits (second) and third-placed Cape Town City (all on seven points) at the top of the Absa Premiership log.

Amakhosi are now joint-top and third on the log on seven points from four matches but they have played a game more than their new nearest rivals after the Wits v Pirates top-of-the-table clash at Bidvest Stadium was postponed due to the threat of a Fees Must Fall protest on the Wits University grounds.

Maritzburg are stuck on four points from as many matches and have not won since their opening day away victory at Bloemfontein Celtic.

TMG Digital/TMG Sport