Orlando Pirates ground out a hard-fought victory on the road on Tuesday, beating SuperSport United 1-0 in a Betway Premiership match played at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday.
The victory helped the Soweto Giants secure a league double over their Gauteng rivals while moving to 59 points on the log. It was further misery for the hosts, who remain in 14th place with just one more game left to play.
The midfield was the focal point of action for much of the first half with neither side as both sides looked to settle into the game. A second-minute set piece was the only shot on target throughout the opening quarter, and it was awarded to the hosts with Lyle Lakay drawing a comfortable save from Bucs debutant goalkeeper Siyabonga Dladla.
Meanwhile, Pirates had only a couple of misplaced shots to show for their efforts during the early exchanges, with Deon Hotto and Thalente Mbatha both not going anywhere near the target with their attempts at goal. It took some tenacious work on the flank from the Namibian to conjure up the Buccaneers’ first real opportunity. He did so by muscling his way towards the penalty area before finding Tshegofatso Mabasa, who was denied from close range by Thakasani Mbanjwa.
An erratic moment near the stroke of halftime denied the hosts the game’s opener as Lebohang Maboe found himself unmarked inside the box when receiving a clever cutback from the left. The Matsatsansa forward however fluffed his lines, skying his effort over the crossbar.
Maboe could have made amends for his earlier miss on the other side of the break, but could not capitalise once more. He was denied from close range by defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who put his body on the line to keep out what looked like a sure goal.
Pirates could not be kept too quiet for long after the break and had an opportunity through a clever touch from Mabasa, who played Mohau Nkota into space out on the right. The 20-year-old could not find a way past Mbanjwa, who made a vital block to keep the visitors scoreless.
Nkota managed to get the better of the United shot-stopper in the 72nd minute when he got on the end of a pass from Karim Kimvuidi before setting himself up for a left-footed shot that rattled the net to make it 1-0.
That sprung the home side into action as they set about looking for the equaliser which nearly arrived a few moments after the opening goal when Vincent Pule managed to get a shot away. The connection from the former Bucs midfielder was however not enough to trouble Dladla, who had all the time in the world to cover the necessary ground to make the save.
With time running out, the home side came just inches away from stealing a point when Maboe managed to beat an outstretched Dladla, only for his shot to crash onto the upright. That was the start of a frantic conclusion to the contest, with Pirates finishing the strongest of the two sides with close calls from the boots of Mbatha and Simphiwe Selepe at the other end.
Neither was able to alter the scorecard, with the Soweto Giants eventually taking maximum points for the fourth time in as many league visits to Polokwane this season.
Pirates XI: Dladla, Sibisi, Mbokazi, Shandu, Hotto, Selepe, Mbatha, Maswanganyi (Xoki 87’), Nkota, Dlamini (Kimvuidi 61’), Mabasa (Radiopane 76’
