Bucs Reserves Cruise Past Polokwane

Orlando Pirates Reserves completed a convincing 3-0 win in their DStv Diski Challenge fixture against Polokwane City at Rand Stadium on Sunday.

Joseph Makhanya’s young charges remain unbeaten in their first four games, hitting double figures under the points column. 

They asserted their dominance early on in the contest, with all of the game’s initial chances occurring inside the visitors’ half of the field.

Defender Mbekezile Mbokazi was the first to send a shot at goal, scraping the outer part of the crossbar with his header from the corner in the ninth minute. He followed that up with a similar attempt at goal three minutes later, sending the ball wide of the target.

Another headed effort came in the 25th minute, with striker Mehluleli Maphumulo connecting with an excellent ball from the right and flicking it just wide.

The breakthrough came just after the half-hour mark through Ciniso Mazibuko, who was played in down the middle and only needed a single touch to guide the ball past the keeper into the net.

Pirates continued to dominate and had another opportunity six minutes from the break through Jabulani Mokone, whose shot from range fizzed past the upright.

They were handed a golden opportunity to double the lead moments before the break when Mohau Nkota was fouled inside the box, prompting the referee to point to the spot.

Maphumulo stepped up to take the penalty and had no issues slotting home as he wrong-footed the keeper to claim his third goal of the season.

Enjoying a two-goal cushion, the Buccaneers were slow to hit their stride in the second half as the visitors attempted to work their way back into the contest.

Goalkeeper Zoey Monyepao was called upon just before the hour mark, making a comfortable save to keep out a free kick taken right in front of goal.

There was a chance for the Bucs Reserves in the 64th minute when Mpumelelo Ndaba’s flicked header from inside the box rolled inches off target.

Monyepao had one more easy stop to make as Polokwane enjoyed an elongated spell inside Pirates territory, with the defence forced to work overtime.

The next goal however came at the other end of the field 10 minutes from the final whistle, as the Buccaneers turned possession over before working the ball towards Ndaba who darted a few paces from the halfway line before chipping the ball past the keeper into the back of the net.

The visitors responded with a shot hit into the side netting almost immediately after. However, it was the hosts who enjoyed more attacking moments towards the end with replacement midfielder Aphelele Nzimande separated by mere inches from his first DDC goal when he fired a low shot from the edge of the box.

That proved to be the last action of the game, as the Bucs Reserves made it three wins in as many matches to take their points tally to 10 after three games.

Pirates Reserves XI: Monyepao, Magugwana, Mbokazi, Mokone, Sibiya, Selepe, Molepo, Masemola (Nzimande 68’), Mazibuko (Chibwe 68’) , Nkota (Ndaba 46’), Maphumulo (Nxumalo 68’).

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