Lidoda Duvha came into the match needing a victory to give themselves any hope of at least moving up to the play-offs spot, but it was not to be as they were outclassed by an Ea Lla Koto side that clinched a place in the top eight.
Leopards had the first shot in anger as early as the second minute of the match, with Mongezi Bobe putting a free-kick wide of goal from about 20 metres out.
But the midfielder found the back of the net five minutes later and give them a glimmer of hope. A pull-back from the right by-line found Bobe, who steered a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene.
Ea Lla Koto earned a penalty in the 38th minute when Ernot Dzaga was perhaps harshly adjudged to have pushed Dove Wome in the 18-yard area. Mweene converted from the spot to bring the scores level and deal Leopards’ survival hopes a massive blow.
And things got even worse for the Limpopo team just before the hour-mark when Wome latched onto a pass from the right by Anver Esterhuizen and finished from close range to make it 2-1.
Ten minutes later Wome missed a great chance to extend his side’s lead, but the score was soon 3-1 with Anver Esterhuizen heading home from a corner in the 72nd minute to effectively end the game as a contest.
Leopards were able to pull a goal back in the 89th minute when David Zulu converted Bobe’s cross from the right, but it was too little, too late and proved nothing more than a consolation strike.