Pretoria - Mamelodi Sundowns slipped to the bottom of the Absa Premiership table after they were defeated 3-1 by Orlando Pirates at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night.
 
Sundowns couldn’t afford anymore slip-ups in the league and they got off to the brighter start when Teko Modise’s sixth minute free-kick narrowly went over the cross bar.
 
A moment of brilliance proved to be the difference in the opening stages when Thulasizwe Mbuyane tapped home a well placed cross to put the side ahead against the run of play, six minutes later.
 
It was a frustrating moment for Sundowns as they struggled to make anything from all their possession, with their own fans jeering Eleazar Rodgers for not being able to convert his chances.
 
Pirates doubled their lead, just before the break, when the Sea Robbers left Sundowns’ defence exposed with some great one-two passing which saw Takesure Chinyama curl an effort at goal from the edge of the D to make the scoreline 2-0.
 
The same Sundowns eleven turned out at the start of the second half and they once again conceded possession in the final third when Daine Klate forced Wayne Sandilands into making a great save by his near post.
 
The Brazilians were in need of a change and they brought in Nyasha Mushekwi in place of Elias Pelembe to help give Rodgers some extra support for the remaining 30 minutes of the game.
 
Sifiso Myeni became the first player booked in the game, with just 15 minutes to go, after he was heard protesting too much, before Rodgers came off for Edward Manqele just minutes later.
 
Sundowns seemed to have run out of steam and couldn’t do much to keep Myeni at bay when he curled in a snapshot into the top corner of the goal to make the scoreline 3-0 with eight minutes to play.
 
Only a consolation goal could hand Sundowns some reprieve in their pain when Manqele hit a half volley, from two-yards out, into the back of the net with seven minutes to be played.