BidVest Wits turned the tables on Kaizer Chiefs by beating 'Amakhosi' 1-0 in a hard fought Absa Premiership clash played at the Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.

It was sweet revenge for the Students who were knocked out of the MTN8 competition 3-1 by Chiefs in the quarterfinals earlier this month in a match which the Clever Boys should have won.

Referee Faiek Daniels played an extra six minutes, which only he knows why, and awarded Amakhosi a penalty in the last minute of optional time after Sipho Mngomezulu was adjudged to have pushed substitute Knowledge Musona. But Darren Keet made a brilliant save from Siphiwe Tshabalala's spot kick to earn Wits their first win of the season.

Wits are now unbeaten with five points from three matches. But the alarm bells are starting to ring for Chiefs coach Vladimir Vermezovic whose side have collected only one point and failed to score in any of their three league matches so far.

Wits were the better side in the first half and deserved their 1-0 lead at the break.

The match took a long time to get out of neutral. The first attempt at goal came from Students defender Tefu Mashamaite in the 21st minute. His glancing header sailed past Chiefs' woodwork.

Mandla Masango continued where he left off on Sunday at the same venue where Chiefs and Ajax Cape Town fought to a pulsating 3-3 in the MTN8 semi-final, second leg by missing a great chance in the 25th minute. The wasteful Masango was replaced by Tshabalala at half-time.

Ajax won through to the MTN8 final winning the two legged cup-tie 4-3 on aggregate.

Wits suffered two key defensive injuries to Neil Winstanley and Justin Millar forcing coach Roger de Sa to reshuffle his defence by bringing on Mngomezulu for Winstanley and Sandile Sibande for Millar.

But, despite the setbacks, the Clever Boys managed to keep control and reform at the back.

Wits took the lead when Mark Haskins waltzed around the Chiefs defence to open the scoring with a well-taken goal in the 27th minute.

A minute later, Chiefs skipper Tinashe Nengomasha wasted a chance when he collected a defence-splitting cross from Abia Nale but the Chiefs captain tamely shot straight at keeper Darren Keet.

Wits defender Patrick Phungwayo came close to making it 2-0 three minutes from halftime but his screamer flew marginally over the crossbar.

Chiefs best effort came in the 50th minute when Keet parried a Jose Torrealba shot and from the rebound Nale inched his shot fractionally past the post.

Five minutes later, Keet did well to smother a well hit Tshabalala shot.

Keet, who had a nightmare in the MTN match against Chiefs, was in top form this time and helped his side with a great save off Josta Dladla in the 63rd minute.

Attacking left back Phungwayo hit the side-netting as Wits hit their opponents on the counter attack a minute later.

Wits captain Mashamaite did brilliantly to get in a superb challenge to stop Nale from scoring from close range. Then Wits rode their luck in the 71st minute when Dladla's header was cleared off the line by Keet despite appeals from the Chiefs players and fans in the 9000 crowd appealing for a goal. But referee Daniels waved play on.

Chiefs threw everything forward looking for the equaliser and were denied by the woodwork when Chippa Nhleko headed substitute Gerald Sibeko's corner against the post in the 80th minute.

But how referee Daniels found so much optional time is a mystery and no wonder De Sa was complaining when the fourth official indicated after the 90 minutes were up that his side still had to contain Chiefs for another six minutes. And then came the penalty and the save.