Staff Reporter.
Betway Premiership title chasers Orlando Pirates secured a hard-fought 1-0 win against Polokwane City at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides showcased their attacking intent during the first 10 minutes of the match, as seen with attempts by the likes of Relebohile Mofokeng and Oswin Appollis. However, it was Pirates who bossed the possession count, with Rise and Shine seeing around 33 per cent of the share in the first quarter of the encounter.
City did little to trouble the Pirates backline midway through the first half, while Mofokeng came close to opening the scoring in the 21st minute. After a lofted ball was played into the area, the Bucs starlet misread the pass and deflected the shot out wide.
The home side proved to be a tough nut to crack in the first half and resisted attacking advancements made by Evidence Makgopa and Thalente Mbatha. With Pirates enjoying the majority of the ball, City battled to make any progress up the pitch.
While Appollis attempted to make things happen in the middle of the park during the closing stages of the half, it was not to be for City as they struggled against Pirates’ constant pressure.
It was more of the same for Pirates after the restart and they continued to dominate the ball possession numbers. However, an increase in activity saw Appollis and Mokibelo Ramabu cause the Bucs unrest in their defensive quarters.
Pirates got the breakthrough in the 67th minute after making the most of a set-piece situation inside the Polokwane City half. With a lofted ball played into the box, goalkeeper Brian Bwire failed to handle the ball, which was subsequently guided home by Nkosinathi Sibisi.
The Sea Robbers actively searched for their second goal as the 75th minute approached but often fell short at the final hurdle.
Rise and Shine, on the other hand, were left to defend their quarters for much of the second 45. Nevertheless, Pirates saw out the game with their goal advantage intact and bagged important points on away soil.
Meanwhile AmaZulu FC bounced back to winning ways in the Betway Premiership when they claimed a 1-0 win over Richards Bay at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Friday night.
Golden Arrows denied Chippa United a third straight win in the Betway Premiership after they played out a 0-0 draw at the Mpumalanga Stadium and Marumo Gallants fought hard to pull one back and draw 1-1 with SuperSport United in the Betway Premiership at the Dr. Petrus Molemela Stadiumon Saturday, 5 April.