Matchday 24 - Report
Thanda Royal Zulu 0 - Orlando Pirates 2
DURBAN, March 14 (Absa Premier League) – Second-half goals from Lucas Thwala and Teko Modise helped Orlando Pirates inflict more Absa Premier League misery on Thanda Royal Zulu on Saturday.
The Amabhubesi held their own for large parts of the game, but their failure to convert in front of goal proved costly and could come back to haunt them as the season winds down to a close.
With just six games now remaining, Roger Palmgren’s team have slumped to third-bottom, just five points clear of Bloemfontein Celtic, who have a game in hand.
But the three points for the Buccaneers helped them continue their title-push after moving to within three points of leaders Supersport United.
The game started brightly for our boys and they should have taken the lead in the seventh minute when James Madidilani’s cross sat up nicely for Nkosinathi Nhleko in the centre of the box.
However, the big striker was unable to convert as his dipping shot beat Moeneeb Josephs, but not the cross-bar.
Five minutes later Nigerian winger Felix Obada, should have done better with a long ball that he only managed in pulling across the face of goal.
Pirates had one of only two of their opening half chances when Dikgang Mabalane fired his right-footed strike from the right side of the box straight at Aubrey Mathibe in the Thanda goal.
Apart from that, it was one-way traffic with Nhleko, Joseph Kibe and Clifford Mulenga all failing to find the target as there was only one side in it at the Absa Stadium in Durban.
Another good chance for Thanda came when a sloppy defending by the visitors on the half-hour mark led to the ball coming back to Obada, who saw his shot come back off a defender.
But the follow up was wastefully thumped into the crowd as poor finishing continued to be the biggest frustration for Palmgren.
Pirates only other real chance of the first 45 minutes fell to Innocent Mdledle, whose cracking shot sailed inches over as both sides went in level at the break.
But a strong half-time talk from Ruud Krol looked to have lifted his team as they come out looking rejuvenated after the break.
And they went ahead in the 48th minute when Katlego Mashego was brought down clumsily by Musa Nyatama in the penalty area and Thwala made no mistake, powering a strong finish to the left of Mathibe.
Thanda had to wait until the hour mark to create their first real opening of the second half, which came when Kibe’s cross was met by a powerful header by Phil Evans as our boys found chances harder to come by in the second half.
The pair again combined moments later, this time from a corner-kick, but the end product again left Josephs untested.
And with 12 minutes remaining Pirates dramatically turned defence into attack by landing the killer blow.
Substitute Thulasizwe Mbuyane was the creator making a quick break away on the right and then sweeping a long cross-field pass to Modise on the left.
The South Africa midfielder then charged in on goal before delivering a cool finish from an acute angle on the left side of the box to help seal the three points.