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Johannesburg - On a night where Orlando Pirates could have easily notched up five goals, it was the performance of AmaZulu goalkeeper Aubrey Mathibe which his coach Craig Rosslee hailed as match-winning.
While Bongani Ndulula snatched the headlines with a stunning individual goal to help the visitors claim a 1-0 Premiership win over the Buccaneers on Thursday, it was at the other end where all the action took place.
Pirates were completely dominant and reeled off shot after shot, and on every occasion Mathibe stood firm.
“They've got a fantastic midfield with (Andile) Jali and (Oupa) Manyisa who pulled the strings,” said Rosslee after the game.
“They had a lot of chances and credit to our 'keeper for keeping us in the game.”
While they walked away victors on the night, Rosslee was not overly pleased with the performance of his troops.
“We didn't start well, we looked a bit lethargic and Pirates had most of the possession.
“They had a lot of chances and we had one chance to their 15 I think."
Rosslee, though, said he was not complaining about collecting a first league win for his side over Pirates since the 2009/10 season.
“In the second half, we were a bit more collected and organised and tried to force them to knock the ball on, which they did.
“We showed a bit too much respect, I don't know if it was nerves or what it was. I suppose we'll take the win and run.”
Meanwhile, Pirates coach Roger de Sa said it was a frustrating game for his side.
“We could've played for another hour and not put the ball in the net,” said De Sa.
“You just have to take it in your stride and learn to take it on the chin."
De Sa said it was just not a good day out for his strikers, which happens in football.
“Those are the strikers I have. We work with them every day, they try their best, but you can't squeeze too much water out of stone.”
