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AMAKHOSI climbed out of the mental morass of cup final defeat in midweek to scramble a second-half winner and beat table-toping Bidvest Wits 2-1 to end the year on a bright note at the Cape Town Stadium last night.
Lorenzo Gordinho forced the ball over the line after a goalkeeping lapse by Moeneeb Josephs to ensure the victory with 12 minutes left of a bruising encounter as Chiefs hosted their league game some 1 000km from their home base.
They had taken the lead from a penalty after 18 minutes but were caught by a sucker punch from Wits before the break to see the sides level at half.
While Gavin Hunt suggested a refereeing conspiracy, Chiefs coach Steve Komphela more accurately described the game as a grind with little quarter given on either side. It left bodies battered and bruised.
There will be some argument about whether Gordinho was offside for the winner but Wits must share the blame for the first-half penalty.
Victory for Chiefs means they are now five points off the pace and still in the title race while Wits could find themselves usurped at the top if Mamelodi Sundowns beat Orlando Pirates today.
The penalty came after Onismor Bhasera recklessly lunged into a tackle on Camaldien Abraw to give away the spot-kick that led to the opening goal.
Wits were right back in it after 33 minutes with an old routine that Ruud Krol first introduced when he coached Orlando Pirates.
With offside not an issue, Daine Klate stood right on the edge of the Chiefs box as Josephs banged a goal kick up field, over the top of the Chiefs defence and with time for Klate to score past a bemused Reyaad Pieterse, one of four changes Chiefs made from their cup final line-up.
OTHER RESULTS Last night: Black Aces 1, Ajax Cape Town 0; Yesterday: Golden Arrows 1, Polokwane City 0; Free State Stars 1, Jomo Cosmos 0. Friday: Chippa United 2, Bloemfontein Celtic 1.