Pirates revive title challenge with derby win!
ORLANDO PIRATES-2
KAIZER CHIEFS-1
SIHLE MKHIZE
Orlando Pirates defeated bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in the DStv Premiership Soweto derby at the Orlando Stadium to revive their title hopes. Amakhosi’s main destroyer Thembinkosi Lorch displayed a man of the match performance to help the Buccaneers bagged the three points.
Lorch, who has made it a habit of scoring against Amakhosi, scored his fifth derby goal against the run of play. Lorch took advantage of Reeve Frosler’s misguided header and beat goalie Akpey at his near-post. Frosler and Akpey’s mistakes proved to be the big difference in the first half.
Siphesihle Ndlovu doubled the Buccaners’ advantage to secure the three points with 11 minutes remaining on the clock.
Amakhosi defender Daniel Cardoso reduced the deficit five minutes from time, but it was too little too late for the Naturena-based outfit.
The win moved Bucs to fourth place on the log table with 25 points from 15 matches.
Amakhosi lost their first game in five. They occupy eighth place with 18 points from the same amount of goals.
But on the balance of play, Amakhosi deserved to get out of the game with at least a point.
They created the better of the goal-scoring chances and were unlucky to lose the game.
Samir Nurkovic missed a penalty, and defender Siyabonga Ngezana failed to finish off the rebound.
Nurkovic had an opportunity to level the scoreline after Ben Mutswari fouled Happy Mashiane inside the eighteen-yard box.
The referee Luxolo Badi pointed the ball to the spot.
But the lanky Serbian was denied by the Ghanaian international goalkeeper Richard Ofori.
Ngezana could have scored his first derby goal, but his follow-up effort brushed the post as Bucs survived the scare.
Ndlovu finished off the game as a contest in a classic counter-attack to end the visitors’ hopes of a comeback on the 79th minute. Paseka Mako’s beautiful run on the byline ended with an inviting cross that Ndlovu finished out to make it 2-0.
Akpey got caught in no man’s land and out of his goal during the attack.
Mako toyed with the Chiefs’ defense.
Pirates had a penalty shout, but their plea fell on deaf ears as referee Budi turned it down.
Budi gave brandished three yellow cards to Pirates players for protesting the penalty decision.
TV cameras suggest that Njabulo Blom pulled Vincent Pule’s shirt in the box, but the referee ignored their pleas.
After that incident raised eyebrows, Pirates players fumed over referee Lorch, Thabang Monare, and Ben Motswari find themselves on the referee’s books.
Ja, we played well, we should have won the game quite comfortably, what more do you want me to say? That’s it. I thought we did well,” Hunt told SuperSport TV after the match.
“The chances they cleared off the line, I don’t know how many they cleared off the line, so we did well. That’s it. I can’t fault the players.
“That’s pretty basic in football [to take chances], but you also have to defend better. I thought the second goal was poor from our side. There’s only one winner here. We should have won the game,” he said
In the second half, it was a good counter-attack game for us but we didn’t have the thing we need the goals. But for I think it was a clear penalty in the second half, and two hands in the first half,” he said.
“I don’t know the referee don’t have the view we have, but we’re happy we won the derby. We needed this three points and this was the reason we wanted the three points.
“Yes, it is special against Kaizer Chiefs for the fans, supporters. I think it is more for us, we needed the three points and I‘m happy we gave this win to the supporters,” Zinnbauer concluded
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Dstv Premiership League Standings
Mp W D L Gd Pts
1. Sundowns FC 14 8 6 0 +15 30
2. Supersport Utd 14 8 4 2 +10 28
3. Swallows FC 14 7 7 0 +9 28
4. Orlando Pirates 15 6 7 2 +5 25
5. CT City 13 6 4 3 +5 22
6. Golden Arrows 13 5 7 1 +5 22
7. Amazulu FC 14 4 6 4 +2 18
8. Kaizer Chiefs 15 4 6 5 -2 18