SPORT: Things looking up for Downs
Substitute and man of match bags two goals in second half
AS the expected front-runners have struggled to find a stride yet in the marathon of the Premiership, the rhythm of Mamelodi Sundowns is starting to look imposing. The PSL’s strongest team on paper followed up a 3-1 away win against Orlando Pirates with a 2-0 victory against battling Bidvest Wits last night at the Clever Boys’ Bidvest Stadium stronghold that was even more convincing than the scoreline suggested.
A second-half brace – in the 63rd and 82nd minutes – by substitute and manof-the-match Khama Billiat killed Wits.
That both teams were out the blocks slowly this season – Sundowns going into last night’s game in eighth place, and champions Wits in second-last – took some of the edge off, but there was no less competitiveness, aggression and pace to the clash.
Wits coach Gavin Hunt retained his 3-5-2 formation, which was relatively effective in suppressing Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 in the knockout semifinals on Saturday.
In one change, Elias Pelembe came in to inject pace as striker next to Amr Gamal. Wits prefer to try to snuff out Downs. But with the champions incoherent – and with their absentee list – against a full-strength Sundowns, it was a very unlikely prospect last night.
The result was a quite open, fairly end-to-end game. In the second half, coach Pitso Mosimane responded to a more forceful start by Wits, bringing on the recently subdued-in-form Billiat in the place of Thapelo Morena.
Within six minutes, an old partnership of Percy Tau and Billiat opened Wits, the former played down the left to slip a pass to the unmarked latter to tap in from two metres, with Darren Keet stranded.
In the last 10 minutes, pressure from Downs saw the ball worked to Billiat on the left, who finished low past Keet.
ý At the Orlando Stadium, goalkeeper Nkosingiphile Gumede was the outstanding performer as he kept Orlando Pirates at bay to help Golden Arrows to a valuable away point in a 0-0 draw.
Gumede made several stops to keep Lamontville Arrows among the front runners, even though they have not won a league game since September.
Pirates are also still in the running, but will see the draw as a missed opportunity as they had the bulk of possession but again failed to take their chances – or in this case were denied by Gumede.
ý At the Cape Town Stadium, Craig Martin scored his first career goal for Cape Town City as they were held to a 1-1 draw by table-topping Baroka FC.
Malawi’s Robin Ngalande had put Baroka ahead in a closely fought game, before Martin equalised and City then bombarded the visitors’ goal with shots. – Additional reporting by Mark Gleeson