Soweto - Orlando Pirates began the second half of the 2011/12 Absa Premiership season with a narrow 1-0 win over Black Leopards at the Orlando Stadium on Wednesday evening.
 
An early Thulasizwe Mbuyane goal was all that separated the teams, as the Buccaneers put up a pretty uninspiring performance but had enough to hold out for the three points against a Leopards team that didn’t have enough in attack to breach the home side’s defence.
 
Pirates started the match strongly and could have opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute as Benni McCarthy set up Siyabonga Sangweni with a one-on-one chance against the goalkeeper, but the defender missed his attempted volley.
 
As it was, Bucs took the lead just three minutes later. Right-back Bheki Nzunga provided a great cross from the flank and Mbuyane buried a bullet header into the top corner of the net. Posnett Omony got a hand on the effort but couldn’t keep it out.
 
On the quarter hour mark Pirates should have made it 2-0 as Lucky Lekgwathi had a free header from a corner kick, but the skipper completely mistimed his effort and the ball bounced wide of the target, much to Lidoda Duvha’s relief.
 
As the half wore on Pirates lost their early sharpness and rhythm, allowing Leopards to come into the game a touch more, but apart from a half chance for Benedict Vilakazi - where the midfielder hesitated when presented with a shooting chance - the visitors hardly troubled Bucs’ backline.
 
Leopards made a double change early in the second half, sending on Humphrey Khoza and Rodney Ramagalela. The tactical shuffle certainly saw the Limpopo team up their game in attack, though they were unable to create any clear scoring chances.
 
Pirates continued to look disjointed in attack, though another good cross from Nzunga handed Mabena a scoring chance from which the forward placed a diving header on target only to see it smothered by Omony.

Scorers:

Orlando Pirates (1) 1 (Mbuyane 7’)
Black Leopards 0
 
Teams:

Pirates: Meyiwa; Nzunga, Mahamutsa, Sangweni, Lekgwathi, Mbuyane (Boa Morte 89’), Ntshumayelo, Jali, Klate, Mabena (Manqana 75’), McCarthy
 
Leopards: Omony; Kwena, Xakane, Mkhonza, Taaibos (Ramagalela 49’), Maake, Duiker, Mabunda (Monama 73’), Mapolisa, Vilakazi (Khoza 48’), Nkhatha