Bucs Reserves Ease Past Royal AM

8 April, 2023

Orlando Pirates Reserves scored a goal in each half to claim a 2-0 win over Royal AM in their DStv Diski Challenge fixture played at Rand Stadium on Saturday.

It was a third successive win for the Bucs Reserves, who strengthened their position in a tight three-way race for the title.

The hosts started off as the dominant side in the early exchanges, creating opportunities at goal for Mehluleli Maphumulo and Jabulani Mokone, with neither player managing to find the target.

They continued to camp inside the visitors’ half as Mokone got another chance in the 10th minute, only to be denied by Royal AM keeper Lungisani Mncwabe.

The Durban outfit had an opportunity of their own six minutes later when the Bucs defence was caught flat-footed in dealing with a set-piece from deep, but the resultant header towards goal sent the ball rolling narrowly wide.

They had another chance on the half-hour mark when striker Thabiso Nzoyiya attacked down the middle, but Bucs shot stopper Allesandro Du Plessis was equal to the task.

It looked as if the two sides would go into the break still deadlocked at 0-0, but Mohau Nkota found the breakthrough just moments before the whistle with a left-footed shot which sent the ball beyond the reach of the diving Mncwabe.

Royal AM looked more assured in the early part of the second half, but the Bucs defence stood up well to the challenge.

It took Pirates until the 59th minute to re-assert their dominance, and they did so in style as Mokone’s ball from the left flank found Nkota, who flicked the ball into the net to make it 2-0.

They could have stretched their lead even further in the 74th minute when Mpumelelo Ndaba almost made an immediate impact after being introduced as he got on the end of a pass from Seun Moremi before being denied by Mncwabe.

The lanky forward managed to get the better of the Royal AM shot stopper three minutes later as he knocked the ball beyond his reach, but his shot was kept out by the upright this time around.

Du Plessis was kept busy in the game’s closing moments, cutting out a threatening attack as the visitors looked to reduce the deficit, before making an excellent save in a one-on-one situation in the final minute of regulation time.

It finished 2-0 in favour of the Bucs Reserves, who claimed another crucial three points in their hunt for the title.

Pirates Reserves XI: Du Plessis, Kabini, Ngiba, Mokone, May, Mothapo, Moremi, Bule, Nkota (Mabuza 79’), Mohlala, Maphumulo (Ndaba 66’).