Wits back in the business with important win

Cape Town - Bidvest Wits are back at the top of the Absa Premiership standings, following their convincing 2-1 victory against Baroka FC at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The result comes as a tremendous relief for champion coach Gavin Hunt, whose team had dropped points in two of their previous three Absa Premiership encounters. The most disappointing of those results, perhaps, being the 1-2 defeat against Bloemfontein Celtic in Johannesburg.

Wits are now top of the Absa Premiership standings, having secured 27 points in 14 outings this season, and they also have a game in hand. All of which amounts to a massive psychological advantage ahead of the Christmas break.

It also puts tremendous pressure on a chasing pack which includes Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Pitso Mosimane's Mamelodi Sundowns.

Namibian midfielder Deon Hotto was substituted with five minutes to play in regulation.

However, he walked off the field comfortable in the knowledge that there was no unfinished business. Hotto provided the assist for the opener from Lehlohonolo Majoro. He then capped his performance by breaching the opposition defence, after a beautifully executed set-piece move early in the second stanza.

Such has been the brand of football played by Wits during this campaign, that it has become exceedingly difficult to see them losing, even at the worst of times. After Sunday's dominant first half display, the writing had been on the wall for a Baroka side, probably still hungover over from their success in the Telkom Knockout.

Despite Sunday's dominance, Wits custodian Darren Keet did have his moments of anxiety. The most prominent, perhaps, presented itself within the first six minutes of the fixture, when the Wits defence found itself in sixes and sevens.

The danger was averted though, thanks in part to a Baroka outfit that probably wasn't at its sharpest.

The second Wits moment of madness came shortly before Hotto scored the second goal, when Keet was forced to make an absolutely stunning save from point blank range.

Baroka's Jemondre Dickens was the guilty party. His chance could have and should have been a game changer.