Home Sport Pirates’ inconsistency continues with draw against Stellenbosch

Pirates’ inconsistency continues with draw against Stellenbosch

442

Orlando Pirates were forced to settle for the share of the spoils after they were held to a goalless draw by Stellenbosch FC in a league encounter at the Danie Craven Stadium.

Sibusiso Mthethwa of Stellenbosch FC and Gabadinho Mhango of Orlando Pirates battle for the ball. Picture: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix

ORLANDO Pirates are making life difficult for themselves. They were forced to settle for the share of the spoils after they were held to a goalless draw by Stellenbosch FC in a league encounter at the Danie Craven Stadium.

Pirates inconsistent form this season continues. Last week they were on cloud nine after hammering relegation-threatened Black Leopards 3-0 to keep their chances of finishing in the top three – which guarantees continental football next tern – alive.

Bucs remained fourth on the log after bagging a point against Stellies on Tuesday, but they’ll know that they’ve let themselves down, especially with third-placed Golden Arrows also pushing for a continental spot in the upcoming campaign.

In fact, Pirates will consider themselves lucky that they even managed a point after Stellenbosch dominated most of the possession in the first half.

The home side though was let down by their poor finishing in front of goal – with Ashely Du Preez the main culprit.

The 23-year-old striker missed a sitter after being set-up by Augustine Dimgba. Soon thereafter, Wayne Sandilands was forced to save his team from the blushes after keeping out a pin-point high-flying shot from Jayden Adams as Stellies applied the pressure.

Pirates though returned as the more reinvigorated side in the second half. But they were not clinical enough either, with Gabadinho Mhango forcing goalkeeper Lee Langeveldt into a fine stop after a delightful curling set-piece after the half-an-hour mark.

Pirates will shift their focus to continental football this weekend. They’ll host Raja Casablanca in the quarter-finals of the Caf Confederation Cup at the Orland Stadium on Sunday. A win against Stellies would have served as a huge morale booster heading into that game.

Previous articleAmaZulu’s title hopes dashed after Baroka loss
Next articleKimberley, Kuruman and Colesberg identified as human trafficking hot spots