Wits University went clay-pigeon shooting in their Premier Soccer League (PSL) game against Moroka Swallows at a balmy but largely deserted Germiston Stadium on Wednesday afternoon and ultimately found the Birds easy targets in a 4-0 demolition.
Amazingly, the goal deluge only started in the 50th minute when astute Brazilian striker Marcos de Jesus scored the first of his two goals after Swallows had dominated the opening period and might easily have scored four times themselves.
The course of the game changed dramatically following a controversial incident in which Swallows claimed Wits goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs had hand-balled outside his area, with the ball switched upfield and Wits going ahead from a lightning counter-attack to maintain their challenge for the PSL title.
Swallows crumbled after this disconcerting setback and Wits, known obliquely at times as the Clever Boys, proceeded to play with cool heads and totally outsmarted their bemused opponents.
A meagre crowd of little more than 1 000, made up almost entirely of Swallows supporters, were seeking the blood of Birds coach Gavin Hunt after the final whistle, but an unusually large consignment from the South African Police Service assured the heated emotions did not spill over into violence.
A bemused and bewildered Swallows were already a beaten team after Ashley Opperman deflected the ball into his own net to make the score 2-0 in the 65th minute, with former Bafana Bafana stalwart and Wits assistant coach Eric Tinkler scoring the third goal in the 75th minute with a glorious angled drive from 25m.
De Jesus, returning to the Wits line-up after suspension, demonstrated again his predatory scoring instincts in the 80th minute with a precise header into the corner of the net.
In truth, the wasteful Swallows lost the game in the first half when they squandered chance after chance — and then ended up as confused on the bench as on the pitch. — Sapa