Staff Reporter.
Orlando Pirates secured a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Black Leopards at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Thursday night.
A brace of goals from Tshegofatso Mabasa and a late strike from Frank Mhango saw the Buccaneers to victory and lifted them to fourth place on the table – one point behind third-placed Golden Arrows and with a game in hand on the Durban side.
Lidoda Duvha, meanwhile, remain adrift at the bottom of the log and look doomed for direct relegation to the second tier. They are six points behind Chippa United in the relegation playoff spot with only four matches remaining in their campaign.
Pirates dominated possession and began creating chances from early in the game, with Innocent Maela heading just wide from Deon Hotto’s corner kick in the 11th minute, while five minutes later Siphesihle Ndlovu saw his shot from the edge of the penalty area deflect just wide.
Mabaso’s first goal came just after half-time as Sea Robbers utility man Wayde Jooste produced a good run, penetrating the Lidoda Duvha defence before picking out Mabasa with a low ball and the latter clinically struck the ball into the net.
The second came in the 66th minute as Jooste picked up the ball as Leopards cleared their lines following a Pirates corner. Jooste played in a neat forward long-ball finding Mabasa whose initial header hit the post before he struck home the rebound beyond the reach of Leopards keeper Jonas Mendes.
Leopards looked to pull a goal back through Themba Ndlovu, who struck an effort on target direct from a free kick in the 84th minute, but Bucs goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands was well positioned to save.
Two minutes later Pirates added a third, with substitute Frank Mhango showing good composure and awareness to control Hotto’s cross and fire a low shot past the right hand of Mendes to wrap up an emphatic victory.
The teams will return to DStv Premiership action next midweek, with Pirates away to Stellenbosch FC on Tuesday, 11 May and Leopards visiting Chippa United on Wednesday, 12 May.