Victory for Wits

Johannesburg - An early goal from Sthembiso Ngcobo was enough to consolidate Bidvest Wits' third-place position on the Premiership table and increase the pressure on Golden Arrows with a 1-0 win at King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi, outside Durban, on Saturday night.

The striker netted after just 13 minutes when he was played in by Asive Langwe as the Students cut the gap on second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns to five points with a game in hand.

Abafana Bes'thende, meanwhile, stayed bottom, eight points adrift of safety.

Wits made a bright start and could have taken the lead in the opening five minutes when Ngcobo cut back excellently for Langwe, who arrived a split second late to meet the low ball from the right.

A minute later and Arrows should have been ahead when an inviting Siyanda Zwane cross from the right was met by a powerful goal-bound header from Christopher Katongo, only for Moeneeb Josephs to somehow keep out with a trailing leg.

Then came the opening goal as Sibusiso Vilakazi lifted over a ball into the box for Langwe to touch on for Ngcobo, who expertly thumped into the top left-hand corner with his left foot.

The hosts tried to respond and Jabulani Nene forced Josephs into another excellent save after 17 minutes -- the Wits goalkeeper diving to his right to palm away a deflected 25-yard effort.

Josephs was again called into action after 25 minutes when he had to scramble to his left post to stunningly keep out Philani Shange's free-kick, with Rudolph Bester somehow scuffing the rebound over an open goal via a touch from the keeper.

It remained 1-0 at the break and it took 25 minutes for the next chance to arrive as Ngcobo was played in down the right by Erwin Isaacs, but the striker's rifling effort was somehow pushed onto the crossbar by Arthur Bartman.

Arrows' limited opening in the second period came via a timid Katongo header and a long-range William Twala striker, both comfortably held by Josephs.

With time running out, Isaacs came close to adding a second when he shot across the face of goal as Wit held on for all the points.