Pirates put blunt Arrows to the sword
The chameleon that is Orlando Pirates wore its bright colours yesterday as the team produced a swaggering performance to put Golden Arrows to the sword at Orlando Stadium.
This convincing 7-1 DStv Premiership win, where Tshegofatso Mabasa scored a hat-trick, was in stark contrast to their pedestrian display during the 1-1 draw with Moroka Swallows during the week at Dobsonville Stadium.
It is this level of inconsistency that has left Pirates 12 points behind runaway log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, even though they have played four matches more than the Brazilians.
They wore their bright colours last night, as they put seven goals past this hapless Arrows side and moved to third spot on the standings with 37 points in 23 matches as the race for second intensifies.
Although they were not at their best against Swallows, Pirates coach Jose Riveiro kept faith with his players, and he was forced into two changes with suspended Nkosinathi Sibisi and injured Thalente Mbatha replaced by Thabiso Sesane and Makhehleni Makhaula.
Arrows remain ninth in the log with 30 points from 23 matches, and this also turned out to be the first defeat for coach Steve Komphela since his return to the club recently.
In his unsuccessful mission of trumping Pirates, Komphela went with a team of tried and tested players like Thabani Zuke, Gladwin Shitolo, Nduduzo Sibiya and Knox Mutizwa but they were no match for Pirates.
Pirates got off the blocks in breathtaking style, and by the half-hour mark they were already leading 3-0 from goals by Mabasa, Relebohile Mofokeng and Kabelo Dlamini.
Sensing danger, Komphela reorganised his team with an early substitution, where Kagiso Malinga was replaced by Lungelo Nguse after 35 minutes but the game was already in Pirates’ favour.
Pirates took the lead after 11 minutes when Mabasa struck home after he collected the ball that came from Arrows goalkeeper Sifiso Mlungwana. For the opener, Mlungwana was at fault as he parried a shot from Makhaula in the path of oncoming Mabasa who made no mistake to register his eighth goal of the season.
The goal sparked life into Pirates as they launched another attack, and it resulted in the second by Mofokeng, who has been shy on goals.
Mofokeng, who was released by a good pass from the midfield, controlled the ball outside the Arrows box from where he launched an attack, eliminated Mlungwana before putting the ball into the back of the net.
The floodgates were opened as Dlamini joined the party with the third goal that effectively settled this match as a contest after he found himself unmarked in the box to finish.
Pirates could have gone to the break 4-0 up but Mabasa was denied by Mlungwana from the penalty spot. However, he made up for that mistake when he registered his brace after 51 minutes.
There was a flurry of goals in the closing stages with Sandile Mthethwa, Nguse, Mabasa registering his hat-trick and Karin Kimvuidi as Pirates registered their biggest win of the season.