Telkom Knockout Cup
Teams: Wits v Arrows
Date: 04 October 2013
Venue: Bidvest Stadium
Result: Wits 2-3 Arrows
Arrows walked away winners in an entertaining Telkom Knockout cup tie, coming back from behind before snatching a winner with 10 minute left at the Bidvest Stadium, thanks to a brace by Bonginkosi Ntuli.
Wits took an early lead in the Telkom Knockout cup tie, when Kwanda Mngonyama got on the end of a Matty Pattison free-kick in the sixth minute at Bidvest Stadium.
Bhongolwethu Jayiya was fouled by Mzuvukile Tom on the right, and Pattison whipped in an inch-perfect ball for Wits striker Mngonyama to head home from the back post, giving the Clever Boys an early lead in this cup tie.
Arrows then grabbed an equaliser when they caught Wits on the counter-attack, leaving the Clever Boys thin at the back and scoring through Ntuli in the 27th minute, who tapped in to beat Moeneeb Josephs after Abafana Besithende had sprung the off-side trap.
Pattison, who had just received a yellow card a few minutes earlier then, came close with a right-footed shot from the edge of the box in the 35th minute, forcing a wonderful save by Arrows keeper Cedric Gumede low to his left.
Gavin Hunt’s men came close again, trying to grab the lead once more when Bhongolwethu Jayiya found space on the edge of the box, but his shot was high and wide of Gumede’s goal.
Wits then did grab the lead once more, as Wits captain Vilikazi’s left-footed first time shot beat Gumede after good work on the left by Ayanda Lubelo.
The second-half started in similar open fashion with the hosts especially pushing forward, and Lobelo looking threatening from the left while Pattison dictated play from the centre of midfield.
Abafana Besithende grabbed the equaliser in the 61st minute when Ntuli scored his second; hitting a first time finish leaving Joseph’s with no chance after a good ball from the left wing by Philani Shange.
Bester missed a glorious opportunity when he was put through my Arrows star performer Ntuli, but the striker could only hit his shot over the cross-bar.
The striker did get his goal in the 80th minute and gave Arrows the lead for the first time in this cup tie, after neat build-up play, but Wits keeper Josephs’ will feel he should have done better.
The Clever Boys did try and force a late equaliser with 10 minutes left, but they could not manage to test Gumede and went down at home to Arrows in this exciting Telkom Knockout game.
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Read: Wits vs Arrows Starting XI
By: Soccer-Laduma
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