Pirates let it slip as Baroka come back to steal a point
Baroka FC (0) 2 Orlando Pirates (1) 2
GOALS: Baroka FC: Happy Jele (82min, og), Gerald Phiri (90m);
Orlando Pirates: Linda Mtambo (39m); Kabelo Dlamini (52m)
● Rulani Mokwena’s Operation Festive Season mission came to a dramatic halt after Orlando Pirates allowed Gerald Phiri to grab a last-gasp equaliser to earn Baroka FC an incredible 2-2 draw at the Peter Mokaba Stadium yesterday.
The Bucs coach was aiming to close the year by winning their last three Absa Premiership matches against the Limpopo teams. A win yesterday would have followed Bucs’ 3-2 success against Polokwane City.
Two scorchers taken just outside the area in either half by Linda Mntambo and secondhalf substitute Kabelo Dlamini looked to give Bucs the win before they allowed Bakgaga to come back in the last 10 minutes.
Mokwena, who said yesterday’s result feels like a loss, would have been happy to complete Bucs’ mission with a win against Black Leopards at the Orlando Stadium on December 21.
Bucs’ midfielder Mntambo fired in the opening strike in the 39th minute after linking up well with Vincent Pule in a game that the visitors dominated from the opening whistle.
Pule was denied opening the scoring for Bucs in the 25th minute when his curled free-kick from just outside the area was kept out by Elvis Chipezeze in Baroka’s goal.
Mntambo, who replaced Xola Mlambo in Mokwena’s previous starting side, cleverly beat Chipezeze with an outstanding ground shot.
Dlamini, who also came off the bench to score against Polokwane, blasted in his second of the season, benefiting from a poor clearance by Chipezeze just seven minutes after coming on.
Bucs keeper Wayne Sandilands had kept his team in the lead with some brilliant saves before his skipper Happy Jele turned Phiri’s cross into his own net in the 82nd minute. Phiri was to further break Bucs’ hearts when he finished from inside the area after the Bucs defence made a meal of clearing a throw-in right at the death.