It had all the ingredients of a heartbreak defeat for Mvela log leaders Wits University as they succumbed to an opportunist 84th-minute headed goal from Collen Zimba to lose their first-round Absa Cup game 1-0 at Milpark on Friday night.
Instead there were no tears in the promotion-seeking club’s ranks afterwards and general manager Derek Blankensee proclaimed ”it’s almost a relief to lose this game so that we can concentrate all our efforts on gaining promotion to the premier league”.
And Wits’ priorities were made quite clear when they fielded virtually a second-string line-up against their Premier Soccer League opponents, yet still held their own and came tantalisingly close to winning themselves.
The deciding goal was scored following a corner and took the small but boisterous crowd by surprise — as it did the packed goal mouth of Wits defenders.
Standing out prominently in the Wits defence, however, was former Bafana Bafana stalwart Eric Tinkler, who is currently combining his playing duties with those of assistant coach to Boebie Solomons.
For a willing but relegation-threatened Classic the result came as a timely morale booster as they struggle to hold on to the franchise they bought for Maritzburg from what was initially a Tembisa club.
The irony of the game, however, is that Wits should regain their former status and possibly replace Classic in the Premier Soccer League next season. — Sapa