Sweet revenge for Bucs

A first-half blitz from Orlando Pirates sealed a deserved 3-0 victory over Platinum Stars in their Absa Premiership clash at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Monday afternoon.

Goals from Thandani Ntshumayelo, Oupa Manyisa and Dlaine Klate, all scored in the first half-hour of the game, gave Pirates sweet revenge for their two cup final losses to the self-same Dikwena this season.

Stars were never in the game, lacked their usual intensity and were comfortably second best against a rampant Pirates inspired by Kermit Erasmus up front.

Bucs might have been ahead inside two minutes when Ayanda Gcaba headed over the bar from Manyisa’s cross, but they did not have to wait long for their opener.

Sifiso Myeni played in Erasmus with a great ball and the latter crossed to the back post for Ntshumayelo to turn home.

Erasmus then had the ball in the back of the net, but it was wrongly ruled out for offside.

Pirates soon did have their second though, Manyisa scoring after Erasmus found space on the left and provided an excellent square-ball for the midfielder to turn home.

Klate made it 3-0 with another fine move and again Erasmus was the provider. His run terrorised the Stars defence and he then laid on the perfect ball into the path of Klate to side-foot past Siyabonga Mpontshane in the home goal.

The unlucky Erasmus came close to a goal when he was played one-on-one with Mpontshane, but his poked effort at goal was blocked by the goalkeeper and eventually trickled just wide.

Next up for Pirates is a meeting with University of Pretoria at the Orlando Stadium on Thursday, while Stars will finish their 2013 programme with an away trip to Ajax Cape Town on Saturday night.

Platinum Stars 0

Orlando Pirates (3) 3 (Ntshumayelo 6’, Manyisa 16’, Klate 32’)

Stars: Mpontshane, Mere, Gumede, Mhlongo, Mpeta, Tshabalala (T Mthembu 56’), Sarr, Ng'ambi (Msomi 59’), Nyanda (Ngwepe 67’), Ngele, S Mthembu

Pirates: Meyiwa, Jele, Lekgwathi, Gcaba, Matlaba, Jali, Manyisa, Ntshumayelo (Moholo 76’), Myeni (Twala 70’), Erasmus (Bacela 80’), Klate

Backpage Media