SHARE
Pirates returned to the top of the Betway Premiership table with a commanding 3-0 win over the visiting AmaZulu in their game played at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon.
It was a welcome return to winning ways for the Soweto Giants, who extended their unbeaten streak in the league to eight matches. They went two points clear at the top of the log, taking their overall tally to 58 with only a handful of games left in the campaign.
The home side produced an assured performance throughout the contest, controlling the tempo from the onset. It took them eight minutes to conjure up the game’s first opportunity with Oswin Appollis having a go from range and drawing a save from goalkeeper Olwethu Mzimela, who did well to deal with the tricky bounce from the shot.
Usuthu responded almost immediately, surging into the Bucs half through Athini Maqokolo. The attacker managed to find a way past the defence before firing wide of the target.
Momentum remained with the home side however, and they broke the deadlock with just 14 minutes played as Tshepang Moremi located Yanela Mbuthuma with an excellent ball from the left, with the striker making no mistake in wrongfooting Mzimela with a perfectly-placed header from inside the box.
Having netted his fifth league goal of the season, Mbuthuma could have made it sixth when he got on the end of a cross delivered into the box, beating defender Taariq Fielies before forcing a save from Mzimela.
The pressure from the home side was unrelenting as they continued to pin their visitors back. It eventually told late in the first half when Appollis popped up on the left where he danced his way past the first defender before finding the back of the net with a right-footed shot from outside the box.
That goal took the Buccaneers to the break with a comfortable lead, and they immediately looked to increase their advantage with Relebohile Mofokeng and Mbuthuma both going wide with the first goal attempts of the second half. Mofokeng remained in the thick of things, locating Appollis before drawing another save from Mzimela.
He eventually added his name to scoresheet in the 58th minute, adding to his impressive goal catalogue with another stunner as he linked up with Nkosikhona Ndaba before leaving Mzimela rooted to the spot with a first-time shot from a long way out.
Despite their comfortable lead, the Buccaneers did not take their foot off the gas and were presented with an opportunity for a fourth goal when Fielies handled the ball inside the box. The referee duly pointed to the spot, with Mofokeng taking the responsibility unto himself.
The 21-year-old however could not add to his earlier goal, with his shot crashing into the crossbar.
AmaZulu meanwhile had a few forays into the Pirates half of the pitch, and looked to make one count as Maqokolo produced his side’s first shot on target 81 minutes into the contest. Bucs shot-stopper Sipho Chaine proved equal to the task as he went low to his left to keep the Usuthu man’s long-range effort out.
Mzimela remained the busier of the two keepers, and was instrumental in keeping the hosts’ advantage to just three goals as he denied second half subs Patrick Maswanganyi and Cemran Dansin in injury time.
That turned out to be Pirates’ last wave of attack in the contest, as they secured a convincing win to reclaim first place and keep what has been an intriguing race for league honours alive.
Pirates XI: Chaine, Seema, Sibisi, Sebelebele, Ndaba, Makhaula (Dansin 83’), Nemtajela (Mbule 60’) , Mofokeng (Maswanganyi 83’), Appollis, Moremi (Msendami 60’), Mbuthuma (Radiopane 68’).
SOURCED FROM THE CLUB’S WEBSITE.