Hunt happy with ‘well-deserved’ win against Pirates

Gavin Hunt was delighted with an excellent victory for Bidvest Wits over Orlando Pirates, in a brilliant match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday evening, which contained some fantastic goals and some shoddy defending from both teams in a 4-3 win for the Clever Boys.

“It was well-deserved, fantastic,” said Hunt on SuperSport TV – his side have now won four out of five Absa Premiership games this season, to put themselves right in the early running for the title yet again.

In a roller-coaster of a match, Wits were nonetheless never behind, leading 1-0 through Deon Hotto’s fantastic free kick, only for an even better strike from Tshegofatso Mabasa to peg them back on the stroke of half time, and again through a rocket from Mxolisi Machupu, with Wits pegged back to 2-2 when Musa Nyatama fired home.

Cole Alexander produced a rare goal, with another excellent effort from outside the box, and Wits substitute Phathushedzo Nange made it 4-2 to Wits, only for Pirates substitute Gabadinho Mhango to set up a tense finish with a poacher’s finish against his former club.

“It is not like us to defend like that, especially when we get the lead,” said Hunt, who felt his team improved after the break, when he brought on Haashim Domingo for Sameehg Doutie.

“We changed the whole system and it was better,” added Hunt, who was clearly not happy with the decision to play a “home” game in Durban, even though it did produce an enthralling match.

“It is crazy to play home games away like this, you are on the back foot. We weren’t at our best, but with the change in structure we were good. To let them back in it right at the end was disappointing but we will take the three points.”

As for Pirates and Rulani Mowkena, this was another setback, with their defence again showing worrying fallibility. Mokwena has now won just one of six games in all competitions since taking over from Milutin Sredojevic.

“As a football supporter it was a good game to watch,” Mokwena told SuperSport TV.

“There were two good teams on the pitch, going for it, trying to win. As a football coach of Pirates, I was proud of our character, fight and never-say-die attitude … but I was disappointed to lose the match, disappointed that we conceded four goals. When you score three goals you should win.”

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