Wits close the gap on log leaders Kaiser Chiefs with their 1 – 0 win over Black Leopards
Bidvest Wits kept their title hopes alive in the ABSA Premiership, when they beat Black Leopards 1 – 0 at Bidvest Stadium on Tuesday, March 10.
Wits’ Deon Hotto came agonizingly close to opening the scoring in the fourth minute, when his venomous long-range shot beat the keeper and flew past the post.
Black Leopards’ Thabo Matlaba belted in a curling shot from range, but Wits shot-stopper Brandon Peters pulled off a quick reaction save.
The Clever Boys finally got on the scoresheet in the 30th minute, when a cross from Hotto met the head of the leaping winger Terrence Dzvukamanja who managed to bounce it past the keeper to make it 1 – 0 to Wits.
The second-half started off jittery for Wits, when the goal scorer, Dzvukamanja was stretchered off after a collision with a Leopards’ player.
In the later stages of the game, Leopards were up-in-arms when they felt they were denied a penalty in the 82nd minute. The ball touched the hand of Wits’ Buhle Mkhwanazi in the box when he tried to clear it but the referee was having none of it. Upon later inspection, replays showed that the referee got this one wrong.
Shortly afterwards, Wits super-subs Haashim Domingo and Elias Pelembe both came close to doubling the host’s lead when they both struck the cross bar.
Leopards almost stole a precious point in the dying moments of the game, when Mwape Musonda headed a cross towards the goal, but it was comfortably saved by Peters, which secured the Clever Boys’ 1 – 0 win.
Bidvest Wits coach, Gavin Hunt, was satisfied with the win but felt the boys left much to be desired. “You can’t create opportunities like that and not make it comfortable,” said Hunt. “It is what it is and we’ll just keep soldiering on.”
Wits remain in sixth place on the ABSA Premiership standings with 38 points, 10 points behind log leaders Kaiser Chiefs, with a game in hand.
The Clever Boys now set their sights on Friday, March 13 for the Nedbank Cup quarter final, when they travel to Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont to take on Real Kings Football Club.
FEATURED IMAGE: Bidvest Wits Winger Terrence Dzvukamanja meets a cross with a header to make it 1 – 0 against Black Leopards at Bidvest stadium on Tuesday March 10. Photo: Tshepo Thaela
