Baroka FC twice let the lead slip as they played out a 2-2 draw with hosts Stellenbosch FC in the first of the Premier Soccer League’s relegation-promotion play-off games at the Athlone Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

The Limpopo club had the better of the encounter and let the chance for a positive start to the six-game mini-competition slip although a point away in the Cape is nothing to be scoffed at.

After avoiding automatic relegation by beating Ajax Cape Town on Saturday‚ Baroka looked buoyed and confident but the defensive naivety that has plagued them all season costs them in the end.

Baroka had two good chances inside the opening five minutes as the gulf between the Premier Soccer League’s 15th place finisher and the third placed side in the National First Division was immediately evident.

Stellenbosch’s on-loan defender Markus Lecki‚ who is from champions Bidvest Wits‚ miscued a clearance to allow Richard Matlakala an opportunity which was squandered.

Within two minutes Victor Letsoalo also had the goal yawning in front of him but did not take the chance.

Matlakala powered a header from a corner over the top in the 16th minute as Bazroka stamped their dominance and looked like the home side with Zimbabwean Marshall Munetsi‚ on loan from Pirates‚ commanding in front of the back four as he sought to nullify the threat of Mame Niang.

But Stellenbosch could have opened the scoring just before the half hour mark when Baroka failed to clear their lines but Diego Brown put the ball wide.

It was Mxolisi Kunene who opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a superb back post header after Nkosinathi Ndlovu whipped in an inch perfect cross from the left.

But inside of having a half time lead Baroka let Stellenbosch back in just before the break as Niang won a rare header to lay it down for Jarrod Moroole to hammer home from outside the box.

Baroka were back ahead 10 minutes into the second half as Ndlovu hit from a free kick as Stellenbosch’s goalkeeper‚ the ex-Zimbabwe international Washington Arubi got his angles got wrong

Brown’s chipped cross from the right on the hour mark handed Niang a chance to put the home side back level but his header went agonisingly wide.

But David Booysen made no mistake just two minutes later to loop home the header from a chipped freekick with the Baroka defenders guilty of ball watching.

Arubi made two key saves late on to keep Stellenbosch in with a chance but it is Baroka who emerged with the advantage in the play-offs.

The next game in the play-offs sees Black Leopards hosting Stellenbosch on Saturday (kick off 3pm). - TMG Digital/TMG Sport