Petrus Mahlatsi’s brace kept Bloemfontein Celtic’s hopes of qualifying for the top eight alive when they beat Bidvest Wits 2-0 in an Absa Premiership match at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium on Sunday.
Celtic meant business from the start, pushing forward in numbers in search of the lead.
Their efforts paid off as early as the second minute when Mahlatsi broke the deadlock through a low shot from the edge of penalty box after receiving a terrific pass from defender Thabo Nthethe.
Celtic nearly doubled the lead in the fifth minute when striker Moses Spandeel shot over the bar from a long-range effort.
Wits gained momentum as the game progressed, with good build-ups from the back. The Students almost grabbed the equaliser in the 10th minute when Rene Richards’s powerful shot inside the penalty box went inches wide with Celtic goalkeeper Shuaib Walters at his mercy.
Walters made a dramatic save to protect Celtic’s lead following a thunderous shot by Wits midfielder Marawaan Bantam in the 28th minute.
Wits kept the Celtic defenders busy towards the end of first half, penetrating down both flanks in search of the equaliser. However, the Students failed to take advantage of Celtic’s slow defence in the 40th minute when Bantam’s curling shot was parried for a corner kick by Walters.
Celtic caught the Wits defence off-guard in the 49th minute when Mahlatsi converted Luphiwana Mayambela’s long-range pass to make it 2-0. Tackles started flying in the dying minutes of the match as Wits continued to pile pressure in a bid to reduce the deficit. However, it was too little too late for Rodger De Sa’s charges. — Sapa