Matchday 21 - Report
Bidvest Wits 6 - Thanda Royal Zulu 2
JOHANNESBURG, February 18 (Absa Premier League) – A dominant first-half display from Bidvest Wits helped set up a crushing 6-2 Absa Premier League victory over Thanda Royal Zulu on Wednesday.
Roger da Sa’s team found the back of the net no fewer than five times in the opening 45 minutes with Justin Miller setting them on the way after just three minutes, before further goals from Samuel Ramasoeu, Calvin Kadi and a double strike by Tebego Langerman handed them a massive lead.
To their credit, the Amabhubesi fought back in the second half with Nkosinathi Nhleko and former Students’ frontman Clifford Mulenga cutting the deficit.
However, Byron Hendricks had the final say netting his first ever league goal as Wits moved to within six points of leaders Supersport United.
It was a particularly shocking first-half display from Mandlenkosi Tsengwa, who failed to deal with a lot of the opposing attacks.
But there was nothing he could do about the opening goal, which came when Davidson Oliveira swung in a free-kick from the right and debutant Miller headed home unmarked at the back post.
Shortly after Sibusiso Mahlangu fired narrowly over from just inside the box as the hosts threatened a second.
And it came in the 15th minute, when Tsengwa failed to cut out Langerman’s cross from the left and Ramasoeu was on hand to slot the ball into an empty net.
The Wits winger was then the culprit of missing an easy chance when Kadi’s long ball came to him in the penalty area and he pushed the ball narrowly over from eight-yards out.
It didn’t take long for the home team to again make amends – this time in the 22nd minute when a long ball came to Kadi in the centre of the penalty area and he toe-poked the ball home.
Then came another horrible mix-up between Tsengwa and Joseph Kibe after the ball was thrown straight to the defender.
He was immediately dispossessed by Langerman and the ball perfectly lifted over the goalkeeper, who was caught flat-footed and off his line.
It was 5-0 on the stroke of half-time when Tsengwa could only flap at Ramasoeu’s right-wing cross and Langerman slammed the ball in from close-range.
After the restart, Nhleko missed a golden chance to pull a goal back after being put through one-on-one with Energy Murambadoro, only to lift his shot over.
Mulenga though, showed much better vision when he did find the net from the left after the Wits defence failed to deal with a pin-point cross-field pass from July Mahlangu.
Phil Evans, another player returning to play against his former club, then saw his free-kick from the left excellently tipped over by Murambadoro, before Nhleko ended a flowing move when he picked up Mulenga’s through-ball in the box, spinning and firing in from close-range 15 minutes from the end.
The joy was short-lived three minutes later when no one picked up Hendricks’ run and he swooped to knock in Marawaan Bantam’s cross from the right as Wits wrapped up an easy win.