Pirates stretch lead after Wits suffer shock loss
Orlando Pirates increased their SA Premiership lead to three points on Saturday by drawing at Mamelodi Sundowns while closest rivals Wits suffered a shock home defeat.
Trophy-holders Sundowns and Pirates fought to a 0-0 stalemate in a Pretoria clash that produced few clear-cut scoring chances.
Wits later fluffed a chance to go top on goal difference when they surrendered a lead and had a player red-carded as they slumped to a 2-1 loss against Bloemfontein Celtic.
Just six points separate the leading seven clubs.
Pirates have 23 points, Wits and Celtic 20, Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United 18 and Polokwane City 17 as the championship moves toward the 15-round halfway mark.
There were few empty seats at the 52,000-capacity Loftus Versfeld Stadium, which 2016 African champions Sundowns share with the Bulls Super Rugby franchise.
But a wild miss by Sundowns’ New Zealand-born striker Jeremy Brockie from inside the box 55 seconds after the kick-off was a sign of what lay ahead.
The long-time SA failing of poor finishing was much in evidence with some of the shooting at goal very poor.
A draw was a fair outcome as the two SA representatives in the 2019 Caf Champions League cancelled each other out.
Nine additional minutes were played in the opening half after a spectator in Downs colours insulted Pirates’ assistant coach at the dugout, leading to increased security.
Haashim Domingo hammered the ball into the Celtic net after a free-kick on 57 minutes to put his team ahead at Milpark Stadium within a Johannesburg university campus.
But Robyn Johannes got a straight red card and Tshegofatso Mabaso converted the resultant penalty before snatching the winner five minutes from time.
English striker James Keene netted soon after halftime to earn SuperSport a 1-0 win at mid-table Free State Stars in central town Bethlehem.
Baroka ended a nine-match winless league run by defeating Golden Arrows 2-1 in Durban, with Vusi Sibiya scoring the 48th-minute winner.