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Johannesburg - In a weekend where the Premiership's top three sides played to goalless draws, Bidvest Wits coach Roger de Sa was pleased to see his youngsters humbling Orlando Pirates, beating them 3-1 in Nelspruit on Saturday evening.
Goals from strikers, Sibusiso Vilakazi and the in-form Ryan Chapman (brace) helped the clinical Clever Boys, while Pirates defender Siyabonga Sangweni found a late consolation for the Buccaneers.
"This game showed that our attacking play will improve and that we have a lot of young players who are hungry," said De Sa after the match.
"I still think it wasn't our best performance this season, and still gave them a few chances that they could have capitalised on."
Pirates coach Julio Leal blamed missing five key players, including striker Benni McCarthy and captain Lucky Lekgwathi, with his side weak once again up front.
"But we were definitely short of at least five basic starters for us," he said.
"Wits won a lot of ball in the middle of the field and probably had their best game of the season."
On Friday, log leaders SuperSport United ended in a 0-0 draw with Ajax Cape Town away, while Moroka Swallows were also held to the same score by visiting Bloemfontein Celtic.
There were concerns that the three week recess - which included the Telkom Knockout quarter-final ties and the two week international matches-enforced break - would hamper on the momentum of the teams.
"We had a better second-half, but well done to them (Celtic), they defended well and ensured that we couldn't get a goal," said Swallows coach Gordon Igesund.
"Initially, I was worried about the two week break, thinking that it would break our rhythm, but it did not."
In contrast, Kaizer Chiefs, though, also pointed to disruption in their schedule, as they drew 0-0 with an improved Santos outfit in Polokwane on Saturday.
"Every game after a break is difficult, at the end of the day we will be satisfied with the draw," said Chiefs coach Vladimir Vermezovic.
"Our players pushed and we created some opportunities, but it wasn't our day."
Santos played well in the second-half, and could have recorded a shock result against the hosts with both midfielder Graham King and striker Eleazor Rodgers hitting the woodwork late in the game.
In the end, the people's team's coach Boebie Solomons was assured that his team had been better than Amakhosi, and felt that they should have walked away with three points from the encounter.
"Tactically, we were the better team," Solomons said.
"They had most of the possession but we could have sneaked in at least one goal."
The afternoon match between Free State Stars and Platinum Stars at Goble Park in Bethlehem also finished in a 0-0 stalemate.
The league will take a break again for the cup semi-finals matches.
