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Cape Town - Orlando Pirates moved back to the top of the Absa Premiership standings ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday after a hard-fought 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Maritzburg United.
Both teams made just a few changes to their starting line-ups as Vincent Pule replaced Augustine Mulenga for Bucs, while 19-year-old striker Kwanele Hlongwane got his debut for the Team of Choice.
Following an entertaining opening it was the away side who came close to the opener as Thembinkosi Lorch saw his goal-bound strike blocked by the alert Nazeer Allie.
With that said, the lively Hlongwane almost gave his team the advantage just before the half-an-hour mark but his strike sailed across the face of goal.
Just before the break, Pule weaved his way into the penalty area however his shot failed to hit the target.
After the interval, the Sea Robbers began to take control of the encounter and were rewarded in the 67th minute.
Brian Onyango failed to clear his lines and Pule was alert to the opportunity as he poked home from close range.
The home outfit were rarely threatening though Bucs did make a defensive alteration to protect their advantage as Alfred Ndengane replaced Pule for the final minutes of the clash.
That said, there were few further alarms for Pirates as they collected a valuable three points in Pietermaritzburg.
