Orlando Pirates gave departing head coach Jose Riveiro a winning send-off as they beat Lamontville Golden Arrows 3-0 to claim maximum points in their Betway Premiership encounter held at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday.
It was a third consecutive league win for the Buccaneers who marked their return to home soil with a dominant performance as their Spanish mentor ended his tenure just as he began it – with three league points at the famous venue in Soweto.
There was a unique atmosphere among the Bucs faithful on the night, with many braving the night’s chilly weather to be part of the action. The football in the middle did not immediately match the occasion as both sides struggled to spark life into the contest throughout the opening 10 minutes.
The game’s first real chance at goal came after patient build-up from the hosts who worked the ball out to the left, where Deon Hotto fancied a shot from range. His effort however failed to trouble Arrows keeper Ismail Watenga as he directed it well off target.
The breakthrough turned out to be not too far off as Pirates pushed forward once more in the 16th minute. It took a calm head inside the box from Relebohile Mofokeng to set up a chance for striker Tshegofatso Mabasa, who was just as composed as he fired in from in front of goal to give his side the lead.
An unlucky touch inside the Arrows penalty area prevented the hosts from completing the game’s first quarter two goals up. This was when Bandile Shandu’s shot from the edge of the box was deflected just past the upright for a corner in the 19th minute.
The visitors managed to survive that dominant spell from Pirates with just a one-goal deficit and were presented with an opportunity to level matters following a set piece of their own. It was Nduduzo Sibiya who conjured up what was perhaps their best chance of the evening when he collected a clearance on the edge of the box before rattling the upright with a curling shot.
Successive free kicks late in the opening period could not hand the home side breathing space on the scoreboard, with neither Hotto nor Kabelo Dlamini managing to spark the decisive touch. The duo did link up in open play on the stroke of halftime, with Hotto connecting with an excellent ball from Dlamini just before hooking his shot wide.
This meant a slim lead at the break for the Buccaneers, who continued where they left off after the restart. Superb reflexes from Watenga denied them a second goal moments after the restart when Mohau Nkota had a go from close range, with the Ugandan shot-stopper dropping low to his left to keep out what looked like a sure goal.
Pirates did not take their foot off the pedal, and were rewarded on the hour mark through excellent work from Hotto on the left. The veteran winger worked his way behind the defence before squaring the ball past Watenga who did not get enough of the ball to complete a save, setting Shandu up for an easy tap-in instead.
The lead quickly went from two goals to three in the space of five minutes, with Dlamini providing the third from a set piece. The midfielder delivered the perfect strike from the edge of the box, expertly placing the ball well past a diving Watenga into the bottom corner.
With the hosts comfortably in the lead, the game’s closing stages were characterised by errors from both sets of defenders. A slip at the back from Arrows nearly proved costly when Sbonelo Cele’s pass towards Watenga nearly found its way to an eager Radiopane, but the goalkeeper was able to recover and limit the damage on the scorecard.
There wasn’t nearly enough time for the visitors to launch a comeback, with a late consolation goal also proving elusive. All three points all went the way of the Soweto Giants eventually as they clinched their 18th league win of the season.Pirates XI: Chaine, Sibisi, Mbokazi, Shandu, Hotto (Madiba 75’), Makhaula, Selepe (Kimvuidi 66’), Dlamini (Dansin 75’), Nkota, Mofokeng, Mabasa (Radiopane 66’
