Scrappy Bucs show promise
WIN FIRST, FANFARE LATER
Orlando Pirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)1
Morrison 9
Ajax Cape Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
IT WASN’T pretty but Orlando Pirates won’t mind. The three points are all that matters for the Buccaneers at this stage.
They’ll worry about aesthetics later. For now it’s about victory and the confidence it brings for the players and a 100% home record so far doesn’t hurt, no matter how scrappy.
It wasn’t surprising to see the Buccaneers introduce Issa Sarr with 20 minutes remaining in place of the attack-minded Thabo Qalinge. The intention was to close shop and secure their slender lead with the Senegalese workhorse.
Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic admitted that his immediate challenge at Pirates is to work on the players’ mental strength that took a battering last season.
Last night the mood in this stadium was sombre for the better part even though the hosts took an early lead. The fans were expecting to worse towards the end. But the Buccaneers held on against an Ajax side that hardly tested goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands.
Bernard Morrison put in a shift-and-a-half in a bid to cement his place in the starting XI after spending most of last season on the side-lines.
At times Morrison tried too much. He played more with his heart than his head with the memory of being reduced to the MultiChoice Diski Challenge last season still fresh.
That was a massive downgrade for the forward who was involved in the CAF Champions League before joining Pirates with much expected from him.
The Ghanaian’s bullish nature troubled Ajax defenders, especially Erwin Isaacs who couldn’t contain him. He was rewarded with his first goal in the colours of the Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers are still far from a being well-oiled machine and they are battling to shake a negative mindset of defending once they’ve gone ahead. But there is some promise as they begin to play with freedom under Sredojevic.
In uMlazi last night, the first KZN derby of the Premiership finished in lively fashion with two second-half goals to leave the scores level at 1-1 between Maritzburg United and hosts AmaZulu.
Substitute striker Mhlengi Cele nodded in for the first goal scored by an AmaZulu player this season after Mohau Mokate forced an own goal from Michael Morton to break the deadlock with the opener.
The midfielder supplied the cross for Mokate who forced Morton into an own goal in the 79th minute.
In derby fashion the sides neutralised each other as defences stood firm in the absence of creativity, especially from the home team.
At Lucas Moripe Stadium, Sifiso Myeni scored a screamer of a goal in the 85th minute – his first for SuperSport United since arriving on loan from Wits –to give Matsatsantsa all three points against Platinum Stars.
The attacker received a routine headed pass from Sipho Mbule, who had also come off the bench as coach Eric Tinkler went in search of a win, and did the rest, striking the ball from outside the box to beat goalkeeper Mbongeni Mzimela.
It seemed to open the flood gates slightly as Jeremy Brockie was yet again on the score sheet in referee’s optional time to make it 2-0.