A second half goal from Thabiso Monyane handed Orlando Pirates a 1-0 win over Sekhukhune United in a DStv Premiership match at the Orlando Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The win is only Pirates’ third of the league season and sees them up to ninth on the table while the loss for Sekhukhune sees them at the wrong end of the table in 13th place.
The Buccaneers were certainly the better team from the onset with the first decent chance on goal coming in the 11th minute. Patrick Maswanganyi tried his luck from range, but his effort drifted inches wide.
United’s first shot on target only came in the 20th minute when Kamohelo Sithole drove into the box and fired goalwards, but Pirates’ keeper Melusi Buthelezi pulled off a fantastic low save.
Neither team could break the deadlock before the half time whistle.
The Bucs were quick out of the blocks in the second half when Dean Hotto struck a beautiful long range free-kick, but Sekhukhune goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangaré showed good reflexes to stop the shot.
Pirates continued to pile on the pressure after that, but their final pass continuously let them down.
That was until the 79th minute when a defence splitting pass saw Monyane pop up on the right flank where he drove into the area and fired the ball into the net, 1-0.
Sekhukhune tried to get back into the game, but the Soweto team defended well to hold onto their lead and win the game.
Pirates (0) 1 (Monyane 79’)
Sekhukhune (0) 0
TEAMS
Pirates: Buthelezi, Sibisi, Ndah, Monyane (Shandu 86’), Hotto, Monare, Ndlondlo (Timm 86’), Maswanganyi (Mofokeng 71’), Lorch, Kimvuidi (Otladisa 61’), Makgopa (Pule 71’).
Sekhukhune: Sangare, Mobbie, Mabotja (Ntiya-Ntiya 46’), Cardoso, Gyimah, Mokotjo, Mokwana, Webber (Mosadi 71’), Ohizu, Mkhize (Mokhele 87’), Sithole (Thutlwa 63’).