Cape Town - The Golden Lions have come from behind to edge the Free State Cheetahs in a tight Currie Cup encounter at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Friday evening.

As it happened: Free State Cheetahs v Golden Lions

The Golden Lions won 24-22 after trailing 19-7 at half-time.

The home side scored three tries in the match through Joseph Dweba, Walt Steenkamp and Marnus van der Merwe.

Tian Schoeman and replacement Benhard Janse van Rensburg added a conversion each. Louis Fouche landed the sole penalty to put the Cheetahs ahead in the 72nd minute.

However, the Golden Lions crossed the whitewash three times thanks to Madosh Tambwe, Tyrone Green and Wandisile Simelane with flyhalf Shaun Reynolds adding all three conversions.

Reynolds slotted a 78 minute penalty to secure the win for the Johannesburg-side.

The Golden Lions remain unbeaten and have now gone top of the Currie Cup standings, while the Cheetahs suffer their first defeat of the tournament.

Next Saturday the Free State Cheetahs are up against the Sharks in Durban while the Golden Lions host the Blue Bulls in a Gauteng derby at Ellis Park.

Scorers:

Free State Cheetahs

Tries: Joseph Dweba, Walt Steenkamp, Marnus van der Merwe

Conversions: Tian Schoeman, Benhard Janse van Rensburg

Penalty: Louis Fouche

Golden Lions

Tries: Madosh Tambwe, Tyrone Green, Wandisile Simelane

Conversions: Shaun Reynolds (3)

Penalty: Reynolds

Teams:

Free State Cheetahs

15 Darron Adonis, 14 Tapiwa Mafura, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 Dries Swanepoel, 11 Rabz Maxwane, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Tian Meyer (captain), 8 Henco Venter, 7 Junior Pokomela, 6 Marnus van der Merwe, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Sitno Manjesi, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Jacques du Toit, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Reinach Venter, 19 JP du Preez, 20 Abongile Nonkontwana, 21 Gerhard Olivier, 22 Ruan Pienaar, 23 Louis Fouche

Golden Lions

15 Tyrone Green, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Jan-Louis la Grange, 11 Stean Pienaar, 10 Shaun Reynolds, 9 Ross Cronje (captain), 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Johannes Jonker, 2 Pieter Jansen, 1 Sti Sithole

Substitutes: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Leo Kruger, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 Rhyno Herbst, 20 James Venter, 21 Len Massyn, 22 Dillon Smit, 23 Manuel Rass