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Orlando - Polokwane City have put up a brave showing, but it was not enough to avoid their fifth PSL defeat of the season after Rooi Mahamutsa handed Orlando Pirates a 1-0 win at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.
WRAP: PSL
The win was Pirates first of the league season while a coachless Polokwane slumped to their fifth consecutive defeat.
The opening stanza saw Pirates in full control, but unable to open the scoring despite having over 70% of the possession.
Instead, the Buccaneers were frustrated by a Polokwane side that camped in their own half, trying to defend and hoping to hit on the counter-attack.
Pirates played some-eye catching football and made their intentions clear early on with Oupa Manyisa wastefully firing over from ten-yards out after a goal mouth scramble.
The next chance on goal came in the 16th minute as Kermit Erasmus fired a 25-yard shot goalwards, but his effort went over the crossbar.
This would become a sight the crowd would get used to as the half wore on and Polokwane kept the Buccaneers at bay.
In the 25th minute Tlo Segolela tried his luck with a ridiculous effort from 35-yards out, but the keeper watched in ease as the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Two minutes later and Erasmus should have given his side the lead when he was afforded a free header from a right win cross, but he pushed his chance wide.
Erasmus almost made up for his wastefulness when he created a scoring chance for Aubrey Ngoma two minutes later.
Erasmus made his way into the left side of the box and to the by-line before squaring the ball which resulted in a goal mouth scramble and Ngoma shooting straight at the keeper from close range.
One of the best chances of the game came in added time of the first half and against the run of play as Thobani Mncwango broke forward for Polokwane.
The Rise and Shine attacker made his way into the box, but fired a stinging shot straight at the keeper from 16-yards out, when an effort either side of him would have resulted in a goal
The second 45 saw Pirates continue to push forward and they almost took the lead in the 56th minute as Happy Jele saw a ten-yard header beat the keeper, but cleared off the goalline by a defender.
In the 63rd minute Pirates did open the scoring as a good individual run from Rooi Mahamutsa saw him make his way to the edge of the box before firing the ball into the bottom left corner of the net, 1-0.
Polokwane tried to fight back, but were unable to do so as Pirates picked up their first win of the season.
Scorers:
Orlando Pirates (0) 1 (Mahamutsa 63’)
Polokwane City (0) 0
Teams:
Orlando Pirates: Meyiwa; Jele, Sangweni, Mahamutsa, Phungwayo, Segolela (Thwala 85’), Manyisa, Jali, Ngoma (Mbuyane 64’), Gabuza, Erasmus (Myeni 76’)
Polokwane City: Marumo; Molekwane, Tshilo, Mkhabela, Lichada, Nzimande, Molala, Mdluli (Senamela 60’), Gopane, Kanyenda, Mncwango (Tlolane 79’)
WRAP: PSL
The win was Pirates first of the league season while a coachless Polokwane slumped to their fifth consecutive defeat.
The opening stanza saw Pirates in full control, but unable to open the scoring despite having over 70% of the possession.
Instead, the Buccaneers were frustrated by a Polokwane side that camped in their own half, trying to defend and hoping to hit on the counter-attack.
Pirates played some-eye catching football and made their intentions clear early on with Oupa Manyisa wastefully firing over from ten-yards out after a goal mouth scramble.
The next chance on goal came in the 16th minute as Kermit Erasmus fired a 25-yard shot goalwards, but his effort went over the crossbar.
This would become a sight the crowd would get used to as the half wore on and Polokwane kept the Buccaneers at bay.
In the 25th minute Tlo Segolela tried his luck with a ridiculous effort from 35-yards out, but the keeper watched in ease as the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Two minutes later and Erasmus should have given his side the lead when he was afforded a free header from a right win cross, but he pushed his chance wide.
Erasmus almost made up for his wastefulness when he created a scoring chance for Aubrey Ngoma two minutes later.
Erasmus made his way into the left side of the box and to the by-line before squaring the ball which resulted in a goal mouth scramble and Ngoma shooting straight at the keeper from close range.
One of the best chances of the game came in added time of the first half and against the run of play as Thobani Mncwango broke forward for Polokwane.
The Rise and Shine attacker made his way into the box, but fired a stinging shot straight at the keeper from 16-yards out, when an effort either side of him would have resulted in a goal
The second 45 saw Pirates continue to push forward and they almost took the lead in the 56th minute as Happy Jele saw a ten-yard header beat the keeper, but cleared off the goalline by a defender.
In the 63rd minute Pirates did open the scoring as a good individual run from Rooi Mahamutsa saw him make his way to the edge of the box before firing the ball into the bottom left corner of the net, 1-0.
Polokwane tried to fight back, but were unable to do so as Pirates picked up their first win of the season.
Scorers:
Orlando Pirates (0) 1 (Mahamutsa 63’)
Polokwane City (0) 0
Teams:
Orlando Pirates: Meyiwa; Jele, Sangweni, Mahamutsa, Phungwayo, Segolela (Thwala 85’), Manyisa, Jali, Ngoma (Mbuyane 64’), Gabuza, Erasmus (Myeni 76’)
Polokwane City: Marumo; Molekwane, Tshilo, Mkhabela, Lichada, Nzimande, Molala, Mdluli (Senamela 60’), Gopane, Kanyenda, Mncwango (Tlolane 79’)
