Wits in Hunt for league title glory

Coach stresses key of home game advantage

WINNING their remaining home games is going to be key to taking a first-ever Premier Soccer League title for Bidvest Wits‚ said coach Gavin Hunt after an away point against top-placed Cape Town City on Wednesday.

“Home games are key. We need to make sure. It’s going to be tight‚” he said as Wits moved to 45 points and remained second behind City but having played two games less.

“We don’t have the bottom teams to play‚ just the top teams.

“If we had won against City we would have had a nice cushion but what is key is to concentrate on our home games.

“You must remember that when a team like Wits comes away‚ we have one man and a dog supporting us.

“When Kaizer Chiefs are away their fans overwhelm the stadium. That makes them favourites.

“For teams like Wits or SuperSport to win the league‚ people don’t understand‚ we have no support away and are really on the back foot.

“That’s a difference. We need an extra five or six points a season than the big‚ well supported teams because they get those from the pressure that their supporters put on the opponents.”

Hunt continued to insist champions Mamelodi Sundowns were still favourites and that Wits were not under any pressure.

“But we have given ourselves a good platform and we should make sure that at the end of the season we don’t have any regrets.

“I’ve got something in my head that if you win your home games and draw your away games you will win. But we have SuperSport‚ Sundowns‚ then Chiefs and Pirates to play. We have the majority of them at home though.”

Wits remain with eight games in the campaign‚ having no more cup obligations.

They play SuperSport United‚ Sundowns‚ Orlando Pirates‚ Maritzburg United and Polokwane City at home and have three away matches left – at Highlands Park‚ Free State Stars and Chiefs on the last day of the season on May 27.

Asked if Wits could get some momentum going in a tight programme of their next five matches being played in an 11-day period‚ Hunt added: “There is no momentum with SA teams.

“I think one week we are up and the next down.

“We are too inconsistent. Sundowns were fantastic last season‚ they had that run of 11-12 games but I think teams are largely inconsistent.

“Everybody can beat anybody on any given day.

“For us‚ we have some tough games no doubt about it‚ but you’ll be surprised the closer you get to the finish line‚ it really becomes squeaky bum time.

“People start making errors and if you find a team‚ like Cape Town City‚ if they start thinking about winning the title‚ that’s where your problem can start‚ I think.

“You have to think about just one game at a time and then see where you end‚” he added. — TMG