Pirates and Stars play to delightful draw

ORLANDO Pirates and Platinum Stars served a delectable midweek treat when they played to a delightful 1-1 draw in a Premiership game at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday night.

Both goals came from substitutes Thabiso Kutumela for Pirates and Thobani Kunene for Dikwena. The result meant Stars have now got two points in two visits to Johannesburg and will be difficult to beat in the Rustenburg heat.

They appear to be the team few people have so far taken note of in this early league title race. They look comfortable and welldrilled within the plan coach Cavin Johnson has given them.

They squandered at least three takeable chances in the first half, which went wide off the boots of Robert Ng’ambi and Ndumiso Mabena. Ng’ambi had Pirates fans’ hearts in throats as early as the 13th minute when he half-volleyed a Henrico Botes cut back inches wide.

In the 29th, Ng’ambi had Pirates goalkeeper Brighton Mhlongo at full stretch, but his long-range effort went narrowly wide. Mabena, too, could have opened the scoring, but he squandered a Botes layoff.

In between those chances, Oupa Manyisa also had a go from distance, but his effort missed Mbongeni Mzimela’s lefthand upright. If you add chances to Ng’ambi — his third in the half — and another rushed effort by Vuyo Mere, it became a wonder how the game was locked at 0-0 at the break.

Pirates, who started the season like a house on fire, have battled for a couple of games to bring hot striker Tendai Ndoro into the game more. Ndoro’s week one hat-trick has almost been wiped off memory.

The Buccaneers were held 00 by Cape Town City in their previous home game last week and the Cape side left feeling they could have got all three points. At the same time, Dikwena let three points go at FNB Stadium against Kaizer Chiefs during their previous visit to Soweto.

But the difference between their clash with the other Soweto giants was that Stars went into the second half, where they ran out of defending steam, protecting a 1-0 lead, which they eventually lost to Pule Ekstein.

After a Botes chance two minutes into the second half and a Mabena shot that crashed into Mhlongo’s upright, Stars were under pressure for the better part of the second period. The rain opened the floodgates to a flurry of Pirates chances.

Isaac Nhlapo had to slide in to prevent Ndoro from turning and adding a sixth goal of the season in the 56th minute. Mpho Makola forced a save out of Mzimela soon afterwards.

But in the 76th minute, the dam wall broke, thanks to substitute Kutumela.

Elsewhere, Highlands Park also drew 1-1 with Cape Town City at Mokhulong Stadium in Tembisa, while Polokwane City beat Maritzburg United 1-0 at Harry Gwala Stadium.