Orlando Pirates eased to a 3-0 win over Marumo Gallants at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon, opening a six-point lead at the top of the Betway Premiership.
The Buccaneers secured their 12th win from 16 league matches (and extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to 14) thanks to goals from Yanela Mbuthuma, Patrick Maswanganyi and Relebohile Mofokeng, thus moving six points clear of second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns (who now have a game in hand).
As for Bahlabane ba Ntwa, this is a sixth successive defeat across all competitions. They dropped to 14th place on the log, with 15 points from 18 matches, and both of the clubs below them in the standings now have at least one game in hand.
Pirates survived an early scare, as former player Katlego Otladisa burst through the defence in the third minute, but his scuffed shot was deflected onto the post by goalkeeper Sipho Chaine.
The Buccaneers almost immediately made Gallants pay for that miss, with Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng combining down the right of the attack before the latter played in a low cross that was turned home at close range by Yanela Mbuthuma for 1-0.
Pirates were close to doubling their advantage in the seventh minute, with Masindi Nemtajela turning and shooting from the edge of the penalty area, only to see his effort turned over the crossbar by goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
The hosts kept up their dominance and were rewarded with a fortunate second goal, arriving in the 29th minute. The ball fell kindly for Patrick Maswanganyi outside the penalty area and his low, left-footed drive took a deflection off defender Eroine Agnikoi that completely wrong-footed Arubi – leaving him helpless to prevent the ball rolling into the back of the net for 2-0.
Pirates controlled the remainder of the first half, and 10 minutes into the second, they made a double substitution, taking off the two goal scorers in favour of Evidence Makgopa and Tshepang Moremi.
The former should have added to the Buccaneers’ lead a couple of minutes past the hour mark, blazing a shot high and wide after an intricate passing move had given him a clear sight of goal in the Gallants penalty area.
The visitors offered very little threat in trying to recover the two-goal deficit, with their only notable efforts coming from substitute Jason Clifford, who twice struck efforts over the crossbar in the final quarter hour of the match.
Pirates finally killed off the game in the 85th minute, with the excellent Mofokeng deservedly getting his name on the score sheet. The youngster drove into the box and dummied several defenders before finally stabbing a shot into the top corner of the net to seal a 3-0 triumph.
Pirates will be back in Premiership action in the coming midweek, as they welcome Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday, 18 February, for a key title six-pointer. Gallants’ next league match is at home to Durban City on Sunday, 1 March.
Orlando Pirates (2) 3 (Mbuthuma 4’, Maswanganyi 29’, Mofokeng 85’)
Marumo Gallants 0
PIRATES: Chaine, Van Rooyen, Seema, Sibisi, Ndaba, Nemtajela (Msendami 69’), Makhaula (Mariko 88’), Appollis (Mbule 69’), Maswanganyi (Moremi 55’), Mofokeng, Mbuthuma (Makgopa 55’)
GALLANTS: Arubi, Ncube, Agnikoi, Sikhosana, Mabotja, Bance (Nhlapo 58’), Sithole (Ndlovu 74’), Doumbia, Mwiinde (Mphambaniso 74’), Mabuza (Clifford 63’), Otladisa (Ouattara 58’)