Orlando Pirates scored a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Golden Arrows at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It was a huge relief for Bucs coach Jose Riveiro who were having a tough second half of the season.
Pirates had suffered three losses in a row and the wheels seemed to be coming off. The win, which was acquired in referee’s optional time, gave the Pirates fans something to smile about, especially after their rivals and nemesis Kaizer Chiefs were walloped 4-0 by AmaZulu on Friday night.
With the game headed for a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes, Pirates pushed for the winner and scored the two goals that deflated the Arrows players. Arrows played extremely well for 90 minutes and they deserved a point at least – a loss was not a true reflection of the match after the visitors matched the home pound for pound.
Monnapule Saleng opened the scoring for Bucs on the half-hour mark with a beautiful goal but Arrows fought and cancelled the lead through the boot of Velemseni Ndwandwe. It seemed that a draw was on the cards but Pirates had other ideas. They rallied forward and Terrence Dzukamanja headed home to make it 2-1 in injury time. Arrows had thrown in the towel and were dejected after their opponent’s second goal. Pirates were not finished and Vincent Pule fired the final nail into the Arrows’ coffin with a thunderbolt.
The Buccaneers have now registered 22 points after 16 rounds of matches and they are now 18 points behind log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Pirates’ next fixture is against Stellenbosch FC next Sunday while Arrows will face neighbours Maritzburg United next Saturday.
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