Bucs share a point with Baroka

ORLANDO Pirates poor run of form continued yesterday when they were held 1-1 by the relegation threatened Baroka FC at Ellis Park Stadium.

The Buccaneers are now winless in the last five games and remain third on the log.

Tshegofatso Mabasa broke the deadlock for the Sea Robbers after 16 minutes. He profited from a blunder that was committed by Baroka’s Thamsanqa Masiya. The wing back tried to play a back pass to his netminder, Elvis Chipezeze, but his effort couldn’t reach the Zimbabwean. Mabasa intercepted the pass before beating Chipezeze on his far post.

After the interval, Baroka controversially snatched the equalizer. Masiya delivered a quality ball from the right and side and Evidence Makgopa converted but replays showed that he was in an offside position.

Phelelani Ndaba and his linesman, Mervyn van Wyk failed to spot the incident. At the end it proved costly for the Buccaneers.

Despite their poor run of form, Pirates are still on course to finish third and qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup.

For Baroka, it was a valuable point in their pursuit for safety. They are still 13th but with 25 points now. Baroka are now three points clear of the rock bottom Black Leopards.

There was another draw in an earlier game at FNB Stadium where Bidvest Wits and Golden Arrows failed to close in on a top three and top eight spot respectively after playing out to a goalless draw.

The Clever Boys are fifth on the standings with 41 points, 11 behind log leaders Kaizer Chiefs, who’ve also played 24 games.

Wits’ coach Gavin Hunt, who’s yet to bag a win since the resumption of the season, will know that their bid to challenge for the league title are all but over as Chiefs only need eight points to put the title race beyond them.

For Arrows, though, a top eight finish still remains very much on the cards as they are ninth on standings, equal on 33 points with Highlands Park, who also played a goalless draw with Chippa United this afternoon, but inferior on goal difference.

In a game that was played with a small margin of tactical differentiation, it was rather unceremonious that the two teams ended the first half of the game without a goal.

Wits’ approach was the reliant on the pace of wingers Rowan Human on the right and Kgaogelo Sekgota on the left.

That allowed midfielders Cole Alexander, Deon Hotto and Thabang Monare to make inroads to the Arrows’ final third.

While the Clever Boys relying on wing-play to get to Mlungwana’s goals, Arrows were more on build-up play.