Isaacs hands Wits win over Leopards
Second half goals from Erwin Isaacs and Ryan Chapman earned Bidvest Wits their first win of 2013 when they beat Black Leopards 2-0 in an Absa Premiership match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday night.
The win was also the first for Clive Barker who took the reins of the Clever Boys at the start of the year.
The first 45 minutes was a rather dull affair as neither side could find their footing in the game and stamp their authority on the match.
Instead, it was a half characterised by some poor passing and bad decision making in the final third of the field.
Wits definitely saw more of the ball early on, but they were unable to create a chance on goal from open play.
In fact, the first and only real effort on goal in the first stanza came in the ninth minute from a Bidvest Wits free-kick as Erwin Isaacs drilled a 25-yard set-piece narrowly wide of the target.
Seven minutes later a corner-kick resulted in Mzikayise Mashaba having a shot from just outside the box, but like his Wits colleague before him, he saw his effort go wide.
In the 22nd minute Leopards suffered a set-back as Rodney Ramagalela had to leave the field injured and was replaced by David Zulu.
Still, Wits could not take advantage of the disruption in the home side’s line-up and the half ended 0-0.
The second 45 saw Leopards start the half with more content and they had their first shot on goal three minutes after the restart.
Substitute David Zulu let rip with a 22-yard thunderbolt, but he saw his effort go just wide of the post.
Four minutes later and the home side were on the attack again, this time Samuel Mabunda tried his luck from roughly 25-yards out, but his effort also went agonisingly wide.
Eventually, Wits found their feet in the second stanza and some good build-up play resulted in Isaacs finding the back of the net from 14-yards out with a clinical finish into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-0.
The Clever Boys then continued to drive their dominance after going in front and were unlucky not to double their lead from a free-kick in the 61st minute as Mashaba drilled his shot centimetres wide from 20-yards out.
The result was put beyond doubt four minutes from time when Ryan Chapman grabbed his side’s second goal with a close range finish, 2-0, to hand Wits their first win of 2013.
Black Leopards (0) 0
Bidvest Wits (1) 2 (Isaacs 56’, Chapman 86’)
Teams
Leopards: Maphaha; Nkambule, Xakane, Nyirenda, Khoza, Gumede (Amidu 57’), Mabunda, Bobe, Madimba (Maake 77’), Ramagalela (Zulu 22’), Dzaga
Wits: Harrison; Pule, Gumede, Moon (Chapman 70’), Nengomasha, Vilakazi, Isaacs, Seedat, Mashaba (Pattison 79’), Sibande, Kadi (Faty 86’)
