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PSL Wrap: Title race heats up as Wits slip up

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Siyethemba Sithebe of AmaZulu FC and Sifiso Hlanti of Bidvest Wits

The Absa Premiership title race heated up further over the weekend as Bidvest Wits suffered a surprise loss, while SuperSport United, Polokwane City and Kaizer Chiefs moved within touching distance of the top after vital victories, writes DEAN WORKMAN.

Saturday:

Highlands Park 2-1 Baroka

The Lions of the North were pegged back by an early Mduduzi Mdantsane strike from the away side, but a goal on the stroke of half-time by Sello Motsepe, and then another by Highlands top-scorer Mothobi Mvala seven minutes from the restart were enough to seal the three points for Owen Da Gama’s side.

Highlands remain in ninth position with 29 points, while Baroka sit in 13th, perilously close to the drop zone.

Polokwane City 2-0 Golden Arrows

City were looking to continue their recent revival and got off to a great start against Arrows as Mohammed Anas fired them into the lead with 13 minutes played. Arrows tried to get back into the game, but Jozef Vukusic’s man Charlton Mashumba secured the points with a strike in the 78th minute.

City remain with an outside shot at the league as they sit in sixth four points off the top, while Arrows sit in 11th.

Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 Maritzburg United

The Amakhosi needed all three points to ensure they remain within striking distance of the teams at the top, but faced a tricky game against opponents who were fighting for their lives.

After a tight first half, Ernst Middendorp’s men eventually hit the front when Dumisani Zuma smashed home five minutes after the restart. Chiefs managed to see out the game and claim all three points.

The result sees the Glamour Boys remain seventh, five points off the top, while Eric Tinkler’s men remain rock bottom, four points from safety.

AmaZulu 2-0 Bidvest Wits

AmaZulu were looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats, while Wits were looking to make ground on the top three, not all who were in action over the weekend.

After a tense first stanza, with little to speak of in terms of goal-mouth action, the home side hit the front right at the start of the second half.

Wits fought for a way back into the game, until Ovidy Karuru sealed the three points for Cavin Johnson’s men in the final 10 minutes.

The result sees Gavin Hunt’s chargers remain fourth, two points off the top, while AmaZulu move into tenth.

SuperSport 1-0 Free State Stars

Kaitano Tembo’s men have clawed their way up the table with recent results, but came up against a spirited Stars side who were desperate for a result in their fight for survival.

SuperSport battled hard and eventually found the breakthrough in the 89th minute as Mxolisi Macuphu fired home to hand his side the three points.

Tembo’s men move into fifth just two points off the top, while Stars remain 14th, one point off the play-off places.

Black Leopards 3-2 Chippa United

In the game of the weekend, Leopards’ came from 2-down to edge Chippa in a five-goal thriller.

The Chilli Boys got off to the ideal start as Thabo Rakhale opened the scoring with 26 minutes gone. This lead was then doubled 14 minutes later when Lerato Manzini calmly finished to hand Chippa a 2-0 lead.

Musonda Mwape then took the game by the scruff of the neck as he hit a sensational hat-trick to seal a historic comeback for Dylan Kerr’s side.

Leopards move into 12th position, while Chippa sit second bottom one point from safety.

Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix