Struggling SuperSport, Wits meet
Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United will clash at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in an Absa Premiership fixture on Saturday evening in a match that will provide either side a chance to end their barren spell, kick-off at 6pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).
The hosts have suffered a bad run of form in the league this year.
Wits have not won in the league since December 2011 when they defeated Platinum Stars 2-1 four days before Christmas.
It seems like their habitual second round syndrome has crept in again.
The Students are currently positioned in 11th place on the log with 26 points and have only collected three points out of a possible 24 in 2012.
Roger De Sa’s men have also suffered four defeats in a row. The latest being a 3-0 thrashing to Moroka Swallows and an embarrassing loss to Cosmos who registered only their second victory against the Students.
Wits striker Bradley Ritson, who has just returned from a long layoff, insists that both sides will be targeting nothing but a victory over the weekend.
“This is going to be a cosy affair, United and ourselves are pretty much in the same position and in matches such as these where teams are out of form, they usually produce a big scoreline.
“I just hope that we are not on the receiving end of a big hiding.
“On Wednesday [in the 3-0 defeat to Swallows] I played my first game in a while, so I cannot really pin point our mistakes, but I can see that minor things are causing us to drop points.
“The guys just need a confidence booster because heads have dropped in the team, but this is just a slump which every big team goes through once in a while,” the 30-year-old said.
One of the few teams that rival the Students with a poor record since the second round of league fixtures started is Gavin Hunts’ SuperSport United.
The Matsatsantsa only have the 2-1 victory over Golden Arrows to show for their league efforts in 2012. More worryingly they have not scored a single goal in six league outings.
Glen Salmon, who Hunt has shifted from striker to central defender, is worried about his team’s lack of fire power upfront and has signalled his intentions to redeploy into the last third if needs be.
“The only thing we are lacking is goals because we are very tight at the back. We are not finishing the chances we have created and it has cost us games.
“If Gavin thinks that I should play up front again then I will do it because at this stage we need to try everything in an effort to find a solution to our problems.
“If me playing up front does not work then we would have tried our best in trying to help the team. But I believe that my teammates will come to the party because we are only a win away from good form.”
Salmon also warned his teammates not to underestimate the Students because they are also in the same boat as them.
“Wits are a dangerous side and everyone knows that, they can beat anyone on their day and can use us a springboard to rediscovering their winning ways,” said the 30-year-old.
