Pirates grab three points

Johannesburg - Orlando Pirates continued their charge up the Premiership table with a 3-1 win over bottom feeders Golden Arrows in Soweto on Saturday.

"We scored early but dropped off straight away," said a frustrated Pirates coach Roger de Sa after the match.

"We let them back in the game and it could have gone either way."

The Buccaneers, holding half-a-dozen games in hand due to continental commitments, struck in the 13th minute when Happy Jele capitalised on a fumble by Arrows goalkeeper Ryan Harrison to put the home side in front.

Two minutes later, Arrows struck back when Siphiwe Sithole found a corner from Russel Mlotshwa to hit the back of the net as he levelled the scores.

With 14 minutes remaining in the first half, Oupa Manyisa tapped in a cross from Jele with only the keeper to beat to regain the advantage.

Desperate to find another, the hosts were denied in first-half injury time when Bongi Ntuli fired wide to the right.

Kermit Erasmus had an attempt for Bucs shortly after the break but Harrison dived right to keep out a long-range effort.

Three minutes later, Pirates shot stopper Senzo Meyiwa was placed under pressure when he tipped an effort from Sithole over the crossbar.

Shortly after the hour mark, a determined Erasmus, charging into the area, fired an effort narrowly wide to the left for the home side.

In the dying seconds of injury time, Manyisa blasted a strike across the face of goal to find the back of the net and put the result beyond doubt.

"The first 25 minutes cost us the game," said Arrows coach Mark Harrison.

"We gave away two stupid goals and that's basic defending. It's driving me absolutely crazy, but in the second half we gave a good go at them."