AmaZulu super-sub Brad Ritson’s goal in the 86th minute earned Usuthu a 3-2 win over BidVest Wits in a hard-fought Absa Premiership clash played at Milpark Stadium on Friday night.
On the run of play a draw looked the more likely result. But AmaZulu, to their credit, fought back from 2-1 down at half-time to score what earlier looked to be an unlikely win.
The win has taken the pressure off the team and head coach Clive Barker. For Wits they are on a slide that coach Roger de Sa needs to stop. This is their third successive defeat following the 4-1 home battering they received from Kaizer Chiefs and the 2-1 away loss to Ajax Cape Town.
With both sets of defences looking anything but solid and both playing an open game, this clash had the potential for a lot of goals.
AmaZulu should have been 2-0 ahead in the first six minutes, but poor finishing cost them.
Dumisani Ngwenya wasted a great chance in the third minute when he caught the sleepy Students defence flat-footed and, with only keeper Energy Murambadoro blocking his path, the Usuthu striker tried to curl his shot into the top right corner, but the ball flew past the upright.
Three minutes later AmaZulu’s other wasteful striker, Collins Chabalala, also blew a golden chance when he shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
A minute earlier, AmaZulu keeper Mashudu Mamphita did well to save a header from Wits’ Phikolethu Spelman.
Spelman then miskicked virtually on the AmaZulu goalline in the 14th minute, and from the clearance Usuthu took the lead.
This time Ngwenya got his curling shot right and beat Zimbabwean Murambadoro with a well-hit strike to make it 1-0 after 15 minutes.
But the lead lasted only three minutes. The home side, playing in front of a disappointing crowd of a few hundred fans, levelled the score when Clifford Mulenga raced down the right wing, cut inside, and seeing Mamphita rushing out of his goal, he coolly slotted home past the stranded keeper. AmaZulu defender Sillo Masoeng tried desperately to clear the shot but only helped the ball into his net.
Ngwenya was wide again in the 29th minute when he tried to chip Murambadoro. Mulenga forced Mamphita to make a timely save from his goal-bound header on 32 minutes.
Wits went into the lead a minute later when Spelman did well to find Brazilian teammate David De Oliveira, who coolly placed a shot from 20m past the arms of Mamphita to put the Students ahead 2-1.
Chabalala wasted a chance to equalise when he shot wide again in the 36th minute. Wits started to find their rhythm after this and Mulenga skimmed the crossbar with a powerful header in the 39th minute.
Mamphita pulled off a great save five minutes from the interval when he did brilliantly to fist Sifiso Myeni’s thunderous shot over his crossbar.
Chabalala made amends for his misses in the first half when he headed home the equaliser in the 53rd minute as AmaZulu capitalised on poor defensive marking.
Wits started pushing forward for the winner. Wits defender Tipa Bienvenu failed to connect Mulenga’s corner in the 58th minute.
Sthembiso Dlamini fluffed a great chance to put Usuthu into the lead when he needed cool head — he powered his shot well wide when he should have done a lot better.
The AmaZulu goal lived a charmed live in the 75th minute when Spelman headed against the upright, and from the rebound Bienvenu’s shot was somehow deflected for a corner by Pere Ariweriyai.
Then AmaZulu again punished Wits’ static defence when Ritson headed home Dlamini’s free kick four minutes from time to give Usuthu their hard-fought away win and three invaluable points. — Sapa