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Wits, 'Downs share spoils

Pretoria - Mamelodi Sundowns have missed the opportunity to move up to second in the Premiership standings after a goalless draw with Wits at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night.

As it happened: Sundowns v Wits

Wits halted a late charge from the hosts to hold on for a share of the spoils, which kept the Brazilians at bay.

Four wins on the trot counted for nothing as Downs failed to overtake the Clever Boys and into the top two, ahead of Ajax Cape Town.

A distinctly average first half saw little in the way of chances. Sundowns were penetrative, but ultimately unsuccessful.

Wits goalkeeper, Moeneeb Josephs, was regularly called into action, but rarely looked troubled at the back.

His opposite number, meanwhile, was a mere spectator.

The Clever Boys struggled to make any impression on their hosts and were made to wait for a rare opportunity here and there.

Teko Modise was at his usual best in the middle of the park and dictated the pace of the game with superb passing and awareness on the ball.

Cuthbert Malajila managed to test Josephs late in the opening half with a delicate header, which nearly succeeded in fooling the veteran gloveman.

Level at the break, the second period started much the same as the first, with neither looking like creating any real threat.

Wits eventually came close in the 70th minute from a Sameehg Doutie set-piece, which Buhle Mkhwanazi headed against the crossbar, narrowly missing out on stealing the lead for the visitors.

Sundowns replied with a chance for second-half replacement Khama Billiat.

Billiat, who returned to the team for the first time in more than six months due to injury, forced Josephs into a solid stop seven minutes from the end.

Josephs parried away to thwart the Zimbabwean international, seconds before Elias Pelembe suffered the same fate, Josephs making another brilliant save to keep the scores level minutes from the end.

That was the way it stayed in Pretoria, as the pair walked away with a point apiece.

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