Orlando Pirates 3–1 Highlands Park: Bucs continue winning run in Soweto

Goals from Thembinkosi Lorch, Gabadinho Mhango and Paseka Mako ensured Orlando Pirates claimed the full three points when they beat Highlands Park 3-1 in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) at Orlando Stadium on Saturday evening.

Fresh from a 1-0 win over reigning PSL champions, Mamelodi Sundowns in their midweek match, Orlando Pirates were looking to bag their second win at home.

Midfielder Lorch scored to make it 1-0 in the seventh minute to beat the offside trap and the Bafana international just directed the pass into the net following a long-range pass into the box to beat goalkeeper Kyle Peters.

Striker Mhango would make it 2-0 four minutes later when the Malawian international capitalized from an error at the back through Luckyboy Mokoena and he easily doubled the hosts’ lead.

After 20 minutes of action, coach Josef Zinnbauer’s troops continued to dominate and put the visitors on the back foot but Mhango could not trouble Peters with his header.

The 27th minute saw Peter Shalulile making an attempt at goal through a header but the Namibian international missed the target and collided with goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands who had to receive medical attention.

Midfielder Lindokuhle Mbatha made an attempt to beat Sandilands and make it 2-1 but his low shot could not trouble the experienced goalkeeper towards the 40th minute.

Shalulile continued to probe and he nearly scored in the 41st minute when he received a wonderful cross from the right-wing but his header went wide from Sandilands’ posts.

Right on the stroke of half time, Sandilands managed to deny coach Owen Da Gama’s troops on two occasions on the line and against the run of play, Mako beat Peters from a distance when he won a tussle against Mokoena in the heart of the park, making it 3-0 for the hosts heading to the tunnel.

Upon their return from the tunnel, the two sides could not produce clear cut chances but the hosts continued to have an upper hand in the clash.

Sandilands nearly committed a silly error in the 65th minute when he failed to collect an effort from long range.

However, the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper was equal to the task to save a deflected ball from Happy Jele to punch it away for a corner in the 70th minute.

With 12 minutes to go, there was a brilliant combination between Luvuyo Memela and Mako in the Lions of the North’ half but Mako couldn’t connect with the pass and the visitors cleared the danger.

However, it was Mlungisi Mbunjana who pulled one back for the visitors in the 80th minute when he unleashed a long-range effort to beat Sandilands who was away from his line.

With three minutes remaining on the board, Memela was set up by Mhango but his shot could only hit the far post and bounced back into play with the visiting keeper beaten.

Resulting from the match, Pirates have 30 points at number five on the log table from 18 games and the Tembisa-based side sits eighth with 23 points from 19 matches so far.