A second-half header from substitute forward Ndumiso Mabena gave Orlando Pirates a hard-fought 1-0 win over Platinum Stars in their Absa Premiership match at a freezing Orlando Stadium on Tuesday night.
Mabena — who had replaced winger Daine Klate a few moments earlier — finished off a corner kick taken by midfielder Oupa Manyisa in the 65th minute to give the defending league champions a second successive win as they maintained their early unbeaten run.
The hosts, though, had been wasteful in the match, having created a lot of scoring opportunities that frustrated the sparse attendance at the Soweto venue.
Their forward duo of Bongani Ndulula and Thulasizwe Mbuyane, combined with pacy winger Tlou Segolela, were all blunt in front of goal.
Stars — who absorbed most of the pressure — would have been satisfied if they had walked away with a draw, which would have been a credible result for the Rustenburg outfit to add to their win over Ajax Cape Town last weekend.
The first real opportunity in the match fell to Klate with a freekick in the 16th minute from just outside the box that sailed narrowly wide of goal.
Bring on Benni
Klate turned supplier a few moments later as he set up on rushing Lucky Lekgwathi to fire at goal from the edge of the box, with the shot from the veteran defender also going wide.
Stars had started off solidly too, with big striker Henrico Botes finding space to turn and shoot, but his strike was pelted away by goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs.
Midway through the first half, Stars midfielder Thuso Phala combined well with Solomon Mathe inside the box for the latter to shoot wide.
Mathe was in the spotlight again shortly before the interval, but he became over-eager with just Josephs to beat and completely missed the ball at close range.
With the introduction of forwards Mabena and Benni McCarthy — who came on for Ndulula — on the hour mark, Pirates showed better intention in search of the opener.
The sharp-looking McCarthy showed some deft touches that troubled the Stars’ defence, drawing a save from keeper Siyabonga Mpontshane from a freekick taken on the edge of the box.
Segolela attempted a snap shot inside the box that sailed agonisingly close to the crossbar.
Stars could have fashioned a late equaliser, but substitute striker Brad Grobler’s close-range freekick was deflected slightly wide of goal by the Pirates defensive wall. — Sapa