Baroka FC ended Maritzburg United's unbeaten run in the Absa Premiership with a 2-1 win at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Sunday afternoon.

Victory moves Bakgaga up to 20 points and three clear of the relegation zone. Maritzburg remain sixth, six points and seven places above the Limpopo club.

Tshidiso Patjie scored the winner for the hosts after goals from Ethen Sampson and Judas Moseamedi, in a game that was largely overshadowed by what looked to be serious injury to Elvis Chipezeze in the second-half.

Chipezeze pulled off a superb save early on to deny the visitors what looked to be a certain goal. Pogiso Sanoka picked out Mxolisi Kunene at the back post, but the winger would be denied from close range.

The hosts pulled in front on the cusp of halftime as Sampson marked his debut with a goal. The midfielder left with the easiest of finishes after Richard Ofori failed to gather Gerald Phiri Jnr's corner-kick.

Maritzburg pulled level four minutes after the interval as Moseamedi rose above Chipezeze before nodding the ball home. The coming together resulted in an awkward landing for the Baroka captain who fell on his neck and subsequently had to leave the field on a stretcher.

Following an almost 10 minute delay, the game continued with Baroka calling Richard Ofori into a superb double save as he aimed to make amends for his earlier error.

The Ghanaian shot-stopper, though, could do nothing to deny Patjie in the 89th minute with the second-half substitute beating the offside line before racing through on goal and passing the ball past the Maritzburg shot-stopper.

The Team of Choice conjured one last chance to rescue a draw in added time, but Rushine de Reuck was brilliantly denied by Ayanda Dlamini as the hosts secured all three points.

Baroka FC (1) 2 (Sampson 45' Patjie 89')

Baroka FC: Chipezeze (Dlamini 58'); Kgoetyane, Gebhardt, Farmer, Ngubane, Masiya, Sampson, Mosele, Maloka (Makgaka 68'), Phiri Jnr, Chivaviro (Patjie 80').

Maritzburg United: Ofori; De Reuck, Allie, Morgan (Jappie 46'), Sanoka, Timm (Augusto 90+2'), Buchanan, Claasen (Ntshangase 82'), Kunene, Nyoni, Moseamedi.