Pa Dembo marks winning debut as Santos sink Wits

Gambia international goal-keeper Pa Dembo Touray marked his debut for South Africa ABSA Premiership Santos F.C with a crucial 3-1 victory over Wits University Football Club at the Athlone Stadium on Saturday night with goals from Tyren Arendse, Erwin Isaacs and Gert Schalkwyk propelling Santos to the victory.

Pa Dembo, who didn’t mark his debut for Santos in the 3-2 loss to Moroka Swallows helped the team win to ensure that they at least stay off the bottom of the log by next Wednesday, with their aim looking to be on the right track early on.

Vuyisile Wana forced an early save from Wits keeper Emille Baron when he hit a low drive from outside the box on three minutes. As the match got into gear, Wits were becoming dominant and in the 14th minute Ryan Chapman sent in a low cross from the right flank, but Sipho Ngomezulu flicked the ball over the bar from six yards when he had the keeper at his mercy.

Six minutes later Chapman found some space outside the box and forced an excellent save from goalkeeper Pa Dembo Touray who was firm at goal for Santos. Chapman was at it again five minutes later when he received a good overhead ball from Masibusane Zongo and he outran the defence, but then saw his effort ricochet off the crossbar.

Out of nowhere, Erwin Isaacs ran onto a header from Eleazar Rogers and unleashed a powerful strike which Baron excellently parried away for a corner. From the resultant corner, Arendse hit a ferocious shot which had Baron dazed when the ball hit the back of the net on the half-hour mark.

The second half got underway with Wits on the front foot. Five minutes in and Nasief Morris gave a lazy pass to Pa Dembo who mistakenly gave the ball away to Masibuzane Zongo, who slotted from long range into an empty net for his first Wits goal.

Unfortunately for The Students, they were in the match for only a minute when Siyabulela Songwiqi sent in a cross from the left which was met by Isaacs, who steered the ball into the back of the net from close range to make it 2-1.

Santos were in the ascendency and substitute Salman King hit a low drive from 25-yards out which shaved the crossbar. Six minutes from time, Wits defender Mbulelo Mabizela made a mistake which allowed Santos to go on a counter-attack, but Mathew Pattison failed to score when the shot was cleared off the line by Mabizela. Schalkwyk, though, made no mistake when he blasted the ball into the net for a 3-1 lead.

The Cape Town based outfit held on for their first League win in eight outings to ease their relegation worries. The win lifts them up to 12th in the 16-team-table with 15 points and up next for them is an away trip to Ajax Cape Town.