Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt was putting on a brave face after he saw his team drop crucial points in the Absa Premiership race by being held to a goalless draw at Bidvest Stadium by Free State Stars on Saturday night.
Second-placed Wits slipped to six points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Hunt said plenty can happen in the remaining six matches in the PSL.
“We’re still doing fine — we’re doing great. We’re obviously disappointed about tonight. We all know we should have won by a cricket score‚” the Wits coach said.
“But at the end of the day‚ we just keep soldiering on. We’ve got 52 points after 25 games. It’s two points a game. We just keep going.
“We can’t do any more than what we did here. We won 1-0 on Wednesday against Jomo Cosmos‚ and we never created chances. So what can you do? Lupeta should have had four.
“There is a long way to go still — five games and lots of points to play for. So anything can happen. We don’t worry about that. We worry about ourselves.”
Wits missed a string of chances in the second half that could have wrapped up the game‚ and had a convincing penalty appeal turned down after Daine Klate went down in Stars’ area.
“It was a penalty. The defender blocked his run. If it’s on the halfway line it’s a free-kick‚ isn’t it? But we had 20 chances‚” Hunt said.
“The first half we could have had four or five but we never tested the goalkeeper. So it’s disappointing.”
Wits have had their share of injuries to front-line players to deal with. Centre-back Thulani Hlatshwayo and winger Elias Pelembe are the latest.
“We’ve done great to get as far as we have missing these players‚” Hunt said.
Contrary to Hunt’s ebullience — and characteristic sarcasm in the face of the press after games — not everyone believed his team should have won by a “cricket score”.
It seemed an irony that of the two coaches‚ it was Stars’ Italian coach Giovanni Solinas‚ who speaks at best broken English‚ who managed the far more detailed explanations of how the draw had come about.
The Free Staters edged the first half where they had some good chances.
“In the first half with 11 vs 11 my team controlled the game‚ no problem. We played very well with good circulation and possession of the ball‚” Solinas said.
“I thought the second yellow card for Vilakazi was very soft. It changed the dynamic of the game and put my team in trouble.
“But it’s a good point for us — in my opinion my team never deserved to lose this game.”
Stars had pressed high in the first half‚ something not many teams are brave enough to do against Wits in Johannesburg.
“In the first half I saw my defenders play very high. Wits are a strong team — one of the best in the league and second on the table‚” Solinas said.
“So my team played very well. Yes‚ we did not start well in the second half. But the second yellow card killed the game.”
Wits were also held to a 0-0 draw against Stars in late September‚ before losing 1-0 a week later to exit the Telkom Knockout in the first round‚ both matches at Goble Park in Bethlehem.
The two teams return to Goble Park on Saturday for a Nedbank Cup quarterfinal where it remains to be seen if recent history repeats itself. – Tiso Black Star Group Sport
Philosophical Hunt insists Wits ‘are still doing fine’
Second-placed Wits slipped to six points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Hunt said plenty can happen in the remaining six matches in the PSL.
“We’re still doing fine — we’re doing great. We’re obviously disappointed about tonight. We all know we should have won by a cricket score‚” the Wits coach said.
“But at the end of the day‚ we just keep soldiering on. We’ve got 52 points after 25 games. It’s two points a game. We just keep going.
“We can’t do any more than what we did here. We won 1-0 on Wednesday against Jomo Cosmos‚ and we never created chances. So what can you do? Lupeta should have had four.
“There is a long way to go still — five games and lots of points to play for. So anything can happen. We don’t worry about that. We worry about ourselves.”
Wits missed a string of chances in the second half that could have wrapped up the game‚ and had a convincing penalty appeal turned down after Daine Klate went down in Stars’ area.
“It was a penalty. The defender blocked his run. If it’s on the halfway line it’s a free-kick‚ isn’t it? But we had 20 chances‚” Hunt said.
“The first half we could have had four or five but we never tested the goalkeeper. So it’s disappointing.”
Wits have had their share of injuries to front-line players to deal with. Centre-back Thulani Hlatshwayo and winger Elias Pelembe are the latest.
“We’ve done great to get as far as we have missing these players‚” Hunt said.
Contrary to Hunt’s ebullience — and characteristic sarcasm in the face of the press after games — not everyone believed his team should have won by a “cricket score”.
It seemed an irony that of the two coaches‚ it was Stars’ Italian coach Giovanni Solinas‚ who speaks at best broken English‚ who managed the far more detailed explanations of how the draw had come about.
The Free Staters edged the first half where they had some good chances.
“In the first half with 11 vs 11 my team controlled the game‚ no problem. We played very well with good circulation and possession of the ball‚” Solinas said.
“I thought the second yellow card for Vilakazi was very soft. It changed the dynamic of the game and put my team in trouble.
“But it’s a good point for us — in my opinion my team never deserved to lose this game.”
Stars had pressed high in the first half‚ something not many teams are brave enough to do against Wits in Johannesburg.
“In the first half I saw my defenders play very high. Wits are a strong team — one of the best in the league and second on the table‚” Solinas said.
“So my team played very well. Yes‚ we did not start well in the second half. But the second yellow card killed the game.”
Wits were also held to a 0-0 draw against Stars in late September‚ before losing 1-0 a week later to exit the Telkom Knockout in the first round‚ both matches at Goble Park in Bethlehem.
The two teams return to Goble Park on Saturday for a Nedbank Cup quarterfinal where it remains to be seen if recent history repeats itself. – Tiso Black Star Group Sport
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