Orlando Pirates extended their winning run to three matches in the DStv Premiership with a 2-1 victory over Golden Arrows on Sunday afternoon.
Tapelo Xoki, Relebohile Mofokeng and Vincent Pule made way for Nkosinathi Sibisi, Katlego Otladisa, Karim Kimvuidi before Thembinkosi Lorch featured on the Pirates dugout after returning from suspension which the club imposed on him for domestic violence.
Kimvuidi very nearly got the breakthrough with a curling shot from a tight angle after drawing an angle wide of the box, but he went wide.
Deon Hotto, who got the winner against TS Galaxy, looked to make the difference again in similar style outside the area but Sifiso Mlungwana got behind it.
Pirates continued pushing after the water-break thus received a spot-kick when Brandon Theron tracked down Kimvuidi and Patrick Maswanganyi lined-up to find the bottom-corner.
The host earned a penalty of their own when Ryan Moon went down from Sibisi's challenge, leaving Nduduzo Sibiya to fire into the top corner a minute to halftime.
Pirates, though, could've regained the lead two minutes in the second half with a first-time shot from Ndlondlo off Makgopa's cutback, but the midfielder slammed well wide.
Makgopa and Ndlondlo combined ten minutes later to set-up Kimvuidi to dummy one challenge in the heart of the area and found the net to restore the Sea Robbers' lead.
The Buccaneers showed three changes inside the closing 20 minutes, as Lorch replaced Maswanganyi followed by Xoki ahead of Ndah and Zakhele Lepasa in favour of Makgopa.
Abafana Besthende eagerly looked to go back on level terms again but struggled to unlock the Sea Robbers who sit deep in their own defensive-half.
Lepasa nearly added a third with a pin-point free-kick from the edge of the box, but he cracked the upright before Lorch turned in the follow-up only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
That disallowed effort didn't matter after the Buccaneers secured the win to go third on the table, whilst Arrows suffered a sixth defeat in a row.
Confirmed line-ups:
Golden Arrows: Mlungwana, Cross, Mantshiyane, Shitolo, Tlolane, Theron, Van Rooi, Moon, Ndwandwe, Sibiya, Zwane
Subs: Watenga, Zuke, Ncube, Dlamini Motloung, Ndlovu, Dube, Mutizwa, Nguse
Orlando Pirates: Buthelezi, Sibisi, Ndah, Hotto, Timm, Ndlondlo, Maswanganyi, Otladisa, Kimvuidi, Makaringe, Makgopa
Subs: Ofori, Xoki, Monare, Baroni, Mofokeng, Dlamini, Saleng, Lepasa, Lorch
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