Bucs goal adds to Swallows’ misery
ORLANDO Pirates did enough to edge a cagey Absa Premiership contest and add to Moroka Swallows’ miserable year so far.
Tlou Segolela’s early goal separated the two sides.
The Buccaneers’ three points, earned in a gritty rather than a fluent victory, took them to 37 points and fourth place. With the gap between them and leaders Kaizer Chiefs now 12 points, with both having played 22 games, Pirates know they are challenging for second or third place now.
Pirates coach Vladimir Verme- zovic made two changes from the side that beat Santos 2-0 in the Nedbank Cup last Friday.
Happy Jele finally displaced Ntsikelelo Nyauza to reclaim the right-back position. Kethowakhe Masuku, who apologised this week for petulantly putting on his headphones on the bench after being substituted against Santos, lost his starting place but was in the match 18, as Sifiso Myeni started at second striker.
Swallows counterpart Zeca Marques brought Larry Cohen back into his central defence for Ashraf Hendricks and had Felix Obada at striker in place of Edward Man- qele, who is low on confidence.
It was probably no coincidence that, after a lively enough first half, the two sides waned in the second — nor that Pirates seemed largely willing to defend a 1-0 lead after Segolela had scored within the opening 15 minutes.
These have looked to be two of the more weary sides in the PSL.
Marques has as much as admitted that his ageing squad will need an overhaul — if club spending allows for it.
In a torrid second half of the season the Birds have plummeted from fourth to 12th place.
Vermezovic has said Bucs have been on a psychological low because of the number of matches played by a team that has reached three cup finals, including a gruelling Champions League campaign — and the mental blow of losing all of them.
Vermezovic has said one of his first objectives is to get Bucs to lift themselves, and their front-runners caught a flat Swallows defence square on a few occasions after the start.
Firstly, Mpho Makola’s chip from deep midfield found Lennox Bacela ahead of his marker, with the striker forcing a good save from Swallows’ Greg Etafia.
In the 12th minute Oupa Manyisa’s punt from his own half found left back Thabo Matlaba free on the overlap, and he cut in to produce a swerving shot that Etafia got a touch to.
Segolela popped up to head in the loose ball at the far post to give his side a 1-0 lead.
For a side that has been battling to shake off woeful form this season, Zeca Marques’s team managed some decent first-half football and had their half-chances.
Obada could not get in ahead of ’keeper Senzo Meyiwa to Siyabonga Nomvethe’s deflected attempt at a shot. Central defender Rudi Isaacs rose powerfully on the half-hour to Dikgang Mabalane’s corner but headed well over the crossbar.
After half time Matlaba came close with a drive from just outside the area, but both sides lost momentum as the half wore on.
Vermezovic introduced Kermit Erasmus for Makola, and Marques brought on Vuyisile Wana for Dikgang Mabalane, both in the 70th minute, as the two coaches added more creative players from their respective benches.
It seems there is no bad blood between Vermezovic and Masuku, as the midfielder came on for Myeni in the 85th.
But the chances had dried up until Matlaba steamed into the area and skimmed the crossbar a minute into added time.