Buccaneers play better but still get a beating

FOR the first time since the Premier Soccer League’s inception in 1996/97 season, Orlando Pirates will have to watch the top-eight competition from their couches.

To make things worse, the side that normally gives them their last win, Golden Arrows, pulled the rug from under their feet with Knox Mutizwa’s injury-time winner.

Pirates will see Jackson Mabokgwane’s 61st-minute gaffe that allowed Lerato Lamola to equalise as the turning point of the match.

Goalkeeping howlers have been a trending theme at the Buccaneers and one reason why they’ve finished outside of the top eight.

Thamsanqa Gabuza may not be the most proficient striker around but his powerful 19th-minute header from a Mpho Makola corner to give the visitors the lead explained why Bafana Bafana head coach Stuart Baxter picked him for the Nigeria match. He has little skill and no guile but his height and physicality could worry the Super Eagles in Uyo next month.

The goal came against the run of play considering the rickety Pirates back four spent much of the opening 20 minutes chasing shadows.

Gabuza’s goal knocked the wind from their sails even though Lamola should have done better with his 39th-minute header that Mabokgwane did well to save.

With the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot Award up for grabs, Tendai Ndoro had two chances to overtake Cape Town City striker Lebohang Manyama. He fluffed his lines both times when he missed a delightful Ntsikelelo Nyauza cross in the 33rd minute while blasting wide in the 42nd minute when Arrows seemingly lost their ability to defend.

For probably the first time this season, outside of the Nedbank Cup and the Soweto derby, Pirates played some decent football. Their sense of purpose was fuelled by the fact they needed to win and Arrows have been their daily bread this season.

With the kind of substandard season Pirates have had, losing to them has been unspeakable. Arrows have done so three times.

That pretty much summed up Arrows’ season: good against the best through their elimination of Mamelodi Sundowns in the Telkom Knockout Cup but abject against a team like Pirates who have suffered big defeats against Sundowns and Supersport United.

Ndoro and Gabuza had chances in the 56th, 57th and 58th minutes to extend Pirates’ lead but failed.

They had to look on in disgust when a dreadful mistake from errorprone Mabokgwane gifted Lamola the equaliser three minutes later.

Mabokgwane tried to chip a back pass over the lanky forward but the pass was intercepted and an ugly bicycle kick was enough to propel the ball over the line.

That mistake was compounded by Ayanda Nkosi’s inexplicable 82ndminute miss from point-blank range. Mutizwa landed the killer blow to end the contest.