Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates draw
Posted: 20 March 2012 Time: 20:15
Mamelodi Sundowns maintained their four-point lead at the top of the standings after a goalless draw with second-placed Orlando Pirates at Loftus Stadium on Tuesday evening.
After the trials and tribulations of Saturday’s Soweto Derby, this match failed to live up to expectations and at times threatened to boil over as the players got involved in a few off-the-ball niggles.
Sundowns definitely had the better of the first half, though it was Pirates who had the first effort on goal after 10 minutes – Thabo Matlaba hitting a powerful shot after a surging run, but straight at Wayne Sandilands.
Hlompo Kekana, still looking for his first goal of the season not scored against Powerlines, had The Brazilians’ first shot in anger four minutes later after beating Daine Klate with some great skill, but then fired a drive inches wide with Moeneeb Josephs struggling.
Tlou Segolela hit the side-netting for Pirates a minute later, before Kekana again failed to hit the target; this time after being set up by Elias Pelembe.
Ten minutes from halftime and Klate too hit the side-netting, before Teko Modise came closest to breaking the deadlock when his free-kick from the left touchline eluded everyone, including Josephs, but clipped the crossbar and bounced to safety.
Pirates started the second half well and managed to get a lot of crosses into the area, but nothing that had Sandilands too worried.
In fact, it was Josephs who was next called into action, parrying Katlego Mphela’s rasping drive for a corner.
Then, on 57 minutes, the game’s best chance fell to Klate. Benni McCarthy did well to run onto a through-ball and beat Sandilands before setting up the winger, who then proceeded to send his shot well wide with the goalkeeper nowhere in sight.
Two excellent pieces of defending from Rooi Mahamutsa and Punch Masenamela denied Pelembe and Klate certain scoring chances, which by this stage had become few and far between as the game descended into a scrappy – and at times ill-tempered – affair.
In fact, the closest we got to a deciding goal was Modise’s long-range effort on 83 minutes which forced Josephs into a smart save low down to his left.
Andile Jali was shown a second yellow card a minute from time and Masenamela almost netted an own-goal from Matlaba’s cross in injury-time, but in the end the teams settled for a share of the points.
Ryan Cooper
Follow me on Twitter @KickOffCooper
Previous comments on this story...
Up the bucs until teko score agaisnt bucs.
on the other hand...Supersport(the broadcaster) was terrible as always. Why do they sacrifice live play for showing us mistimed replays, showing fan faces, VIPs, and all that while the game is continuing???? It is very very frustrating!!!
Game was boring.
Kekana should'nt have played the full 90, Mushekwi deserves better......come on Meneer maan!
Funny thing is Chibuku FC could still have won the match 1-0 ( By sheer luck of course) and their dunderheads fans would not have conceded that they didn't deserve to win.
Now c'mon VV drop that Zimbabwean sh*t at the back. A win will take us within a point of Chibuku FC with a game in hand.
Dumitru, please shut up. You of all people still owe Mzansi an apology after that dismal performance of bafana back in Afcon 2006 when you were head coach and promised the country you will win the trophy but didn't. Instead, you lost ALL the games; failing to score 1 goal!
We know you love Sundowns and Chimps, but I can tell you now old toppie, Bucs is going there to not only intensify our stinginess of this PSL (Pirates Soccer League) title, but we will do sundowns a favor by filling up their forever empty stands, bulldose their team aside and come out with 3 points. It's not a threat, but a prophetic promise!
Bhaxabula Bhakabhaka, bhaxabula induku!!!!!!
---------------------------------------------
wa phapha jou swine...
On a positive note, the gap at the top of the table remains YELLOW.
Overall I feel the team gave a fair account of themselves, even though I believe that the game was there for the taking. Maybe the introduction of Mushekwi should have been a bit earlier.
I also feel that the hand of the referee played a role on the results of this match.
To be fair, Orlando Pirates had a better strategy defensively. Well done to them.
Our boys must realise that drawing games does'nt help the YELLOW course at all. I hope the get message that we need 3 points.
WE SHALL REMAIN TOP OF THE LOG TILL WE ARE CROWNED 2011/12 PSL CHAMPIONS!!!
Yellow Is The Way!
Yellow I Was, Yellow I Am & Yellow I Will Remain! [Happily so]