Rudolf Krol has applauded his charges for their fine performance on Sunday against Bloemfontein Celtic. The Dutch mentor expressed his delight as Orlando Pirates bounced back to halted their downward spiral to defeat Celtic 3-1, courtesy of a brace from Katlego Mashego and a goal by Lucas Thwala.

Speaking after the match Krol said, “This was a good game. Of course, I think we didn’t start well in the first twenty minutes of the game but we improved later in the half and played our usual game.

“I’m pleased with the performance of the team but more importantly at the way they were able to finally convert the numerous chances we created. I’ve said it before that our biggest problem in previous matches was our inability to score goals but on Sunday that all changed.”

Although Krol was pleased with the team’s performance on the day, he did however heed caution and urged his team to guard against complacency.

“It’s good to get back to winning ways, but we are not going to get carried away by the result and overlook all the hard work that still has to be done. The league is only fifteen-games old and there is another fifteen games to go therefore we cannot afford to be complacent at this early stage,” stressed Krol.

He added: I am particularly happy with the performance of Phenyo Mongala and Dennis Masina. I gave them a second chance to prove themselves following the 1-all draw against Maritzburg United and they didn’t disappoint.”

Next up for Krol and his troops is a crucial Absa Premiership encounter against Ajax Cape Town, who moved to second place on the log table following their hard-fought 2-1 victory over Mpumalanga Black Aces over the weekend.

The Urban Warriors come into this encounter looking to avenge the 1-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of Pirates at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town earlier in the season.

Remaining fixtures for November:

21/11/2009 - Ajax Cape Town (H)

25/11/2009 - Mamelodi Sundowns (A)

28/11/2009 – Moroka Swallows (H)