Oupa Manyisa scored a brace as Orlando Pirates defeated Golden Arrows 3-1 at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Happy Jele got the opening goal of the match, with Gift Sithole scoring the visitors’ consolation goal.
Pirates took the lead in the 13th minute through poor defending from Arrows. From a corner kick cross Lucky Lekgwathi saw his header saved by Arrows keeper Ryan Harrison but the ball slipped off the keeper’s hands which resulted in Jele slotted home from close range to make it 1-0.
Arrows, however, did not sit back and try to contain their situation as they immediately went searching for a reply. Sithole connected with a corner kick cross and headed home from about 12-yards from goal to make 1-1 two minutes after they had fallen behind.
The players and match officials took a water break midway through the first half due to the soaring heat in Johannesburg on a typical summer afternoon. The mini interval would prove consequential for Arrows as Pirates capitalised on their loss of concentration. Immediately from the restart Jele sent in a low cross which Manyisa slammed home from close range in the 24th minute.
In the 52nd minute of the match Sithole could have levelled for his side again but his powerful header from another corner kick was brilliantly parried over the bar by Meyiwa in the Pirates goal.
Sifso Myeni was denied a goal by Harrison after his wonderful footwork saw him lose his marker and then released a snap shot inside the box which the keeper saved from close range.
With the match certainly looking like it would end 2-1, Bucs gave their home crowd an early Christmas present by scoring another goal deep into injury time. Daine Klate picked out Manyisa and with Arrows defence all at sea, the Bafana Bafana midfielder had the task of only beating Harrison which he did to make it 3-1.
Orlando Pirates (2) 3 (Jele 13’, Manyisa 25’ 90+5’)
Golden Arrows (1) 1 (Sithole 15’)
Pirates: Meyiwa, Jele, Matlaba, Lekgwathi, Gcaba, Jali (Moholo 69’), Ntshumayelo, Manyisa, Myeni (Thwala 85’), Erasmus (Bacela 86’), Klate
Arrows: Harrison, S. Zwane, Tom, Sithole, Musonda, Mothibantwa (Nene 59’), Shange, Khuboni, Zothwane, Ntuli (Polelo 73’), Mlotshwa (D. Zwane 74’) – Backpage Media