Pirates beat Wits to go top

Orlando Pirates edged out Bidvest Wits 1-0 in an Absa Premiership match at the Bidvest Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The victory took the Buccaneers to the top of the league standings, while the Clever Boys remained third on the table.

The Clever Boys were the better side in the opening stages of the match, with Frank Mhango looking to torment the Bucs defence,

The Malawi international had a chance to put Wits into the lead, but he placed his effort straight at Pirates goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands.

The Buccaneers grew into the game and they came close to opening scoring when Luvuyo Memela forced goalkeeper Ricardo Goss into a save.

Pirates were then awarded a free-kick in a promising area on the half-hour mark as they pushed for the opening goal.

Justin Shonga stepped up and he hit the wall from the resultant free-kick, and Augustine Mulenga fired over the crossbar from the rebound.

The momentum was with Pirates with the halftime break approaching and Thamsanqa Gabuza missed the target with a low shot from inside the box.

Wits and Pirates were locked at 0-0 at the interval

The Buccaneers began the second-half brightly, with Luvuyo Memela and Innocent Maela combining well down the left-hand side.

However, Memela's deflected effort was easily saved by former South Africa under-23 international Goss.

Wits coach Gavin Hunt decided to introduce attack-minded midfielder Deon Hotto after the hour-mark as hosts searched for the opening goal.

Terrence Dzvukamanja came close to scoring when the Wits attacker's volley narrowly missed the target.

Both teams launched attacks in the closing stages of the encounter, and it was Pirates who grabbed a late winning goal.

Keegan Ritchie scored an own-goal from Memela's free-kick to seal Pirates' 1-0 win over Wits on the day.

Wits 0

Pirates (0) 1 (Ritchie 90'+2)

Wits: Goss, Hlatshwayo, Mkhwanazi, Hlanti, Mere, Monare, Alexander, Dzvukamanja (Murray 90'+3), Ritchie, Mhango (Mhango 67'), Motupa (Majoro 75').

Pirates: Sandilands, Jele, Ndengane, Maela, Dube, Motshwari, Nyatama, Memela (Munetsi 90'+3), Shonga, Mulenga, Gabuza (Qalinge 70').