Orlando Pirates Reserves bounced back from last weekend’s disappointment with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Golden Arrows in their DStv Diski Challenge fixture at Rand Stadium on Saturday morning.
A 1-0 defeat on the road last Sunday saw the young Buccaneers relinquishing their spot at the top of the standings, and they set about working their way back to the summit with a determined performance on their return to their home patch.
The two sides however took some time to kick into gear, with both keepers left with very little to do inside the opening quarter.
The visitors were the first to fire a shot in anger, and it was a wayward effort from the boot of Khanyisani Malinga who chanced his arm from a long way out.
Pirates meanwhile enjoyed lengthy spells deep inside Arrows territory, but were unable to create clear-cut opportunities.
Their best chance of the first half came three minutes from the break when Mohau Nkota darted in from the flank before his low shot was kept out by the diving Nqobani Langa.
The second period had a lot more goalmouth action, with Nkota again in the thick of things moments after the restart. The winger was the recipient of a fine cross from Azola Matrose, but could only manage to scoop his shot over the bar.
The breakthrough came in the 50th minute through a moment of brilliance from Matrose, who manufactured space to shoot on the edge of the box before finding the target with the help of a slight deflection that directed the ball out of Langa’s reach.
The young Buccaneers were not content with a solitary goal, as they set about attempting to add to their slim advantage by creating a flurry of chances.
Defender Senzelumusa Sibiya went narrowly wide with a shot from a long-way out, while Calvin Chibwe came even closer to providing the second as he forced a save off the Arrows shot-stopper after linking up with Nkota.
There was action at the other end as well, with Bucs keeper Zoey Monyepao pulling off a superb save after the visitors were awarded a free kick right in front of goal.
Langa was however by far the busier of the two keepers, denying Sibiya and Nkota in quick succession after the hour mark.
The Durban outfit meanwhile managed to spark the odd chance when Ntuthuko Khumalo broke away on the right before shooting off target with 14 minutes left on the clock.
Nonetheless, it was the home side who nearly had the final say when Nkota struck the crossbar in the dying moments after cutting in from the right flank.
The solitary goal proved to be all that was required in the end, as the Bucs Reserves claimed all three points to return to the summit of the table.
Pirates Reserves XI: Monyepao, Mbokazi, Sibiya, Mdunge, Mohlala, Molepo, Chibwe (Masemola 88’), Dansin, Nkota, Matrose, Ngobeni (Maphumulo 54’).
