Bucs unable to grab victory against Stars

ORLANDO Pirates would have made hard work of a slender victory against a frail Platinum Stars, but to draw this Absa Premiership game 1-1 at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg last night was a let-off from Bucs for the men from Rustenburg.

Thabo Matlaba seemed to inject the urgency otherwise lacking for Pirates when he smacked home just after the restart in the 46th minute.

Stars, with their lone real attack of the game, pulled one back almost immediately through Bonginkosi Ntuli in the 49th.

Against a team low on confidence, and for whom coach Roger De Sa is clearly still battling to instil a structure, Pirates opened Platinum on occasion in the first half, but with more intensity they could surely have scored a few goals, too.

In the 15th, a low ball in from Thembinkosi Lorch found Matlaba free to blast over.

Pirates looked like they could walk through Stars, such as when Matlaba literally did that, picking a way through the middle and forcing a low save from Dino Visser. Or when Thamsanqa Gabuza picked out Mpho Makola free with a pass across the area, who shot at Visser.

Matlaba got Bucs off to the sort of far more forceful start they needed just after the restart for the second half.

Jinking into the area down the right, the full-back slammed home a right-footed finish into the top-left corner.