Soweto - Despite Bongi Ntuli scoring the first goal of the 2012/13 Absa Premiership season for Golden Arrows, it was goals from Thulasizwe Mbuyane and Tlou Segolela that handed Orlando Pirates a 2-1 win at Orlando Stadium on Friday night.
A goal in each half from substitutes Thulasizwe Mbuyane and Tlou Segolela handed Orlando Pirates their first three points of the 2012/13 Absa Premiership as they beat Golden Arrows 2-1 at Orlando Stadium on Friday night.
The first 45 was a half characterised by some poor mistakes by the defending champions as they gave the ball away cheaply and really struggled to threaten the Arrows goal until the dying seconds of the half.
Pirates started well and they looked to be coasting until their goal was threatened for the first time in the 16th minute.
Arrows caught them on a counter-attack which concluded in Stanton Lewis shooting from 20-yards out. His powerfully struck shot, however, was brilliantly saved by Moneeb Josephs diving low to his right.
The visitors then came out of their shells and started rushing the Pirates midfielders when on the ball. Consequently, some pressure from Thanduyise Khuboni saw Sifisio Myeni lose the ball.
The Arrows captain, after stealing the ball from Myeni, drove forward and played Nkosinathi Ogle through on goal but his shot was partially saved by Josephs.
Bongi Ntuli, however, was on hand for Arrows and slotted home from a couple of yards out, scoring the first goal of the league season, and at the same time handing his side the lead in the 18th minute.
Pirates suffered a further set-back in the 24th minute when Ndumiso Mabena had to leave the field injured, suffering a hamstring injury and was replaced by Thulasizwe Mbuyane.
But it would turn out to be an inspired change as Mbuyane found the equaliser for the Buccaneers in the second minute of added time in the first half.
Mbuyane did fantastically to get on the end of a Myeni corner-kick to adamantly head the ball home from six-yards out to level matters before the break, 1-1.
The second 45 saw Pirates as the more dominant side as Arrows seemed to fall asleep at the break and fail to reawaken at the start of the second half.
Still, Pirates did not take full advantage of their far superior play as the squandered chance after chance on front of goal.
Instead it took a screamer from Tlou Segolelea in the 78th minute to seal the Buccaneers victory.
The second half substitute let fly with a thunderbolt from 24-yards out that found the corner of the net and haded Pirates their first league win of the season.
Orlando Pirates (1) 2 (Mbuyane 45+2’, Segolela 78’)
Golden Arrows (1) 1 (Ntuli 18’)
Teams:
Pirates: Josephs; Matlaba, Lekgwathi, Sangweni, Phungwayo, Klate, Jali, Moholo (Ntshumayelo 91’), Myeni (Segolela 63’), Mabena (Mbuyane 27’), McCarthy
Arrows: Steinbors; Zwane, Krjauklis, Bilankulu, Hadebe, Shange (Macuphu 87’), Keita (Zothwane 79’), Khuboni, Ogle (Nene 46’), Lewis, Ntuli
A goal in each half from substitutes Thulasizwe Mbuyane and Tlou Segolela handed Orlando Pirates their first three points of the 2012/13 Absa Premiership as they beat Golden Arrows 2-1 at Orlando Stadium on Friday night.
The first 45 was a half characterised by some poor mistakes by the defending champions as they gave the ball away cheaply and really struggled to threaten the Arrows goal until the dying seconds of the half.
Pirates started well and they looked to be coasting until their goal was threatened for the first time in the 16th minute.
Arrows caught them on a counter-attack which concluded in Stanton Lewis shooting from 20-yards out. His powerfully struck shot, however, was brilliantly saved by Moneeb Josephs diving low to his right.
The visitors then came out of their shells and started rushing the Pirates midfielders when on the ball. Consequently, some pressure from Thanduyise Khuboni saw Sifisio Myeni lose the ball.
The Arrows captain, after stealing the ball from Myeni, drove forward and played Nkosinathi Ogle through on goal but his shot was partially saved by Josephs.
Bongi Ntuli, however, was on hand for Arrows and slotted home from a couple of yards out, scoring the first goal of the league season, and at the same time handing his side the lead in the 18th minute.
Pirates suffered a further set-back in the 24th minute when Ndumiso Mabena had to leave the field injured, suffering a hamstring injury and was replaced by Thulasizwe Mbuyane.
But it would turn out to be an inspired change as Mbuyane found the equaliser for the Buccaneers in the second minute of added time in the first half.
Mbuyane did fantastically to get on the end of a Myeni corner-kick to adamantly head the ball home from six-yards out to level matters before the break, 1-1.
The second 45 saw Pirates as the more dominant side as Arrows seemed to fall asleep at the break and fail to reawaken at the start of the second half.
Still, Pirates did not take full advantage of their far superior play as the squandered chance after chance on front of goal.
Instead it took a screamer from Tlou Segolelea in the 78th minute to seal the Buccaneers victory.
The second half substitute let fly with a thunderbolt from 24-yards out that found the corner of the net and haded Pirates their first league win of the season.
Orlando Pirates (1) 2 (Mbuyane 45+2’, Segolela 78’)
Golden Arrows (1) 1 (Ntuli 18’)
Teams:
Pirates: Josephs; Matlaba, Lekgwathi, Sangweni, Phungwayo, Klate, Jali, Moholo (Ntshumayelo 91’), Myeni (Segolela 63’), Mabena (Mbuyane 27’), McCarthy
Arrows: Steinbors; Zwane, Krjauklis, Bilankulu, Hadebe, Shange (Macuphu 87’), Keita (Zothwane 79’), Khuboni, Ogle (Nene 46’), Lewis, Ntuli