Pirates’ loss to Baxter was to be expected

WHOEVER had the temerity to predict SuperSport United and Cape Town City would meet in a cup final would have been accused of using an illegal substance.

With the dominance SuperSport and Stuart Baxter in particular have exerted over Pirates in the past two seasons, this result has come to be expected.

Pirates haven't beaten SuperSport in five attempts since the 2014/15 season and last beat a Baxter side in 2012/13, when Oupa Manyisa’s goal separated Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in a MTN8 semifinal.

Pirates are too good to suffer successive big defeats against the same opponents but SuperSport showed they can thrive on small margins.

All they needed was a Thembela Sikhakhane mistake that allowed Thabo Mnyamane to open the scoring in the 22nd minute.

The wet pitch was not to blame for the rightback missing a Jeremy Brockie pass that fell to Mnyamane.

Having had a fifth-minute longrange stinger well saved by Jackson Mabokgwane, he was not going to be denied.

Pirates though, were not entirely blameless, as they could have scored first or equalised in the first half. While Mpho Makola and Tendai Ndoro were failed by a lack of composure, Thabo Rakhale’s 43rd-minute miss from the six-yard box, with Reyaad Pieterse and the SuperSport United defence at sixes and sevens was inexcusable.

After all, it was the same Rakhale who gifted the ball away in midfield in the 2015/16 Nedbank Cup final in Polokwane, from where SuperSport United literally kicked down the barn door.

Thabo Matlaba’s deserved 80thminute straight red card from Victor Gomes for a dangerous tackle on Brockie summed up Pirates’ frustration.

They were stymied all over the park by a determined home side who will be taking part in their second cup final this year. Their small but rowdy contingent with their brass band rubbed it in, as the Pirates faithful, who showered the pitch with projectiles, beat a hasty retreat.