PATOSI TO THE RESCUE
Bucs left to rue losing control of game that looked in the bag. MAGIC: HE CRACKED A MEMORABLE VOLLEY TO HOLD PIRATES TO A DRAW
Apiece of magic from Ayanda Patosi sparked a brilliant comeback from Cape Town City as they held Orlando Pirates to an unlikely 2-2 draw at Orlando Stadium last night.
With Pirates 2-0 up and the game looking all but gone, Patosi cracked in a memorable volley, before the same player’s whipped free kick found its way through a packed penalty area to seal a point for the visitors.
Pirates were left to rue losing control of a game that looked in the bag from the moment they went 2-0 up after just 16 minutes.
For City, the fightback was a worthy tribute to their head coach Benni McCarthy, who did not travel to Johannesburg, with his wife Stacey ill in hospital.
Defender Taariq Fielies was suspended after his red card in the 4-1 thumping by Kaizer Chiefs and with Thamsanqa Mkhize also out, City looked shaky at the back from the off against a confident Pirates side.
The Buccaneers started with just one change from Saturday’s 3-1 win over SuperSport United – Thembinkosi Lorch coming in for Linda Mntambo – and they were in front as early as the eighth minute.
It was all too easy for them to pierce a feeble City defence, as Lorch played a simple ball over the top, and Augustine Mulenga fired a cool finish past Peter Leeuwenburgh.
Pirates doubled their lead in the 16th minute, helped by more non-existent City defending. Innocent Maela had sounded a warning seconds earlier, when Leeuwenburgh saved his header from a Pule corner, and then turned a Jele effort away from goal.
But from the next corner, again taken by Pule, City again failed to mark Maela, and this time he headed in.
City came close at the start of the second half, with former Buccanner Riyaad Norodien bursting forward and firing an effort just over the bar.
Pirates nearly killed the game at the other end, when Xola Mlambo’s effort was tipped over by Leeuwenburg.
But in the 69th minute, Patosi produced a superb piece of skill, volleying in an unstoppable effort, after Pirates defender Ntsikelelo Nyauza could only head out to the edge of his own area under pressure from substitute Siphelele Mthembu
And Patosi was at it again minutes later, this time with a touch of fortune as his free kick from wide left found its way through a crowd of bodies inside the area and into the net.