A goal two minutes from time from substitute Gift Motupa handed Bidvest Wits a 2-1 win over Stellenbosch FC in an Absa Premiership match at Bidvest Stadium on Wednesday night.
The result sees Wits move up to second place on the league table with nine points from four games, one point behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs.
However, that did not always look the case on the night with Wits and Stellenbosch locked at 1-1 until the 88th minute when a super-sub decided the fate of the game and at the same time rescued his teammate from embarrassment.
The teammate being none other than Thulani Hlatshwayo who found the back of the net twice, but once for each team.
Wits did start the stronger of the two teams on the night despite losing Simon Murray to injury early on with Sameehg Doutie replacing him in the fifth minute.
Still, the Clever Boys pressed on and had a few decent shots on goal but Stellenbosch keeper Boy de Jong was in good form and made some fine saves to keep Wits at bay.
The best chance of the first half probably fell to Iqraam Rayners three minutes before the break when a mistake in defence gifted him a clear site on goal, but he shot agonisingly over the target with just the keeper to beat.
The second half saw the home side continue to pile on the pressure and they were rewarded with the opening goal when Hlatshwayo headed home a cross from Thabang Monare in the 69th minute.
Wits, though, surrendered that lead two minutes later – again Hlatshwayo rose highest at a corner-kick and met the ball with a powerful header, but this time into his own net as he attempted to clear a Marc van Heerden cross, 1-1.
The game looked to be heading for a stalemate until the 88th minute when a clinical right-footed finish from Motupa at the edge of the box gave Wits the win, 2-1.
Bidvest Wits (0) 2 (Hlatshwayo 69’, Motupa 88’)Stellenbosch (0) 1 (Hlatshwayo 71’ og)Teams
Wits: Petersen, Hlatshwayo, Pelembe (Monare 67’), Murray (Doutie 6’), Domingo (Motupa 82’), Hotto, Nange, Mkhwanazi, Macheke, Ritchie, Macuphu.
Stellenbosch: De Jong, Robertson, Van Heerden, Gould, Mthethwa, Mobbie, Matsi, Zungu (Skelem 60’), Mobbie (Bergman 67’), Rayners, Moon (Franco 75’).© Backpage TXT
SOURCED FROM THE PSL WEBSITE.
