A two-minute blitz in which they scored twice within two minutes shortly after half-time helped Wits University beat Amazulu 2-1 and end a three-game losing Premier Soccer League (PSL) sequence at Johannesburg’s Bidvest Stadium on Saturday night.
But take away those priceless goals from Phumudzo Manenzhe with a timely header in the 54th minute and a second from Kagiso Denge in the 56th minute, and it was Usuthu who often held the upper hand and played a scintillating brand of soccer that belied their position at the bottom of the PSL log.
Instead of folding up and accepting their ongoing fate as perpetual under-achievers, the tradition-steeped but perennially problem-riddled Durban club concentrated resolutely on the business at hand and reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute through a scorching, 12m piledriver from Sibusiso Ntuli that even Moeneeb Josephs in Wits’ goal had no earthly chance of stopping.
Josephs indeed stood out for his string of heroic saves that enabled Wits to emerge from their recent points drought and look towards the next game against Kaizer Chiefs with renewed confidence.
In one hectic, five-minute spell, the former Bafana and Ajax Cape Town goalkeeper must have felt he was facing a firing squad as shots rained on him from all directions, with Josephs producing a succession of unorthodox but effective saves to thwart Amazulu.
Haunted by a succession of legal actions against the club after buying a PSL franchise from Dynamos at the start of the season, Amazulu displayed skill and enterprise that gave promise of better things to come.
But in view of their perilous position in the log table, is the improvement too late, if not too little, for the current season at any rate?
A bright spot to add to the quota of three points that move Wits back among the top eight front runners in the log emerged from the exciting football displayed by youthful, second-half substitute Samuel Senokoane, whose skill and dribbling sorties on the right flank must have impressed Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira — an interested spectator at a match played in an intermittent drizzle.
Victory for Stars
Silver Stars, with only 10 men, beat Maritzburg United 1-0 in their own backyard on Saturday night in their PSL match played at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg. The half-time score was 0-0.
Stars were reduced to 10 men in the 30th minute when industrious midfielder Abass Inusah was given his marching orders for his second bookable offence.
The only goal of the match came in the 82nd minute when the visitors were awarded a corner kick that resulted in a goal from Dale Studzinski to give Stars the three available points.
In the second half, the home team introduced Sandile Ndlovu, Collen Zimba and Calvin Sosibo for Luntu Mazana, Bradley August and Welcome Qalanto. The visitors replaced Joel Lupahla for Koketso Mmotong. — Sapa