Ajax Cape Town's struggles at Orlando Stadium continued, as the Urban Warriors suffered a 1-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates in an Absa Premiership fixture on Tuesday evening.

Bernard Morrison's ninth minute strike the difference between the two teams as the Buccaneers climbed to second spot on the log standings. Ajax Cape Town remain in 15th place having yet to win a game this season.

The Ghanaian, Morrison, pounced on poor defending from a long throw-in to guide the ball past Brandon Petersen at the back post, for what proved to be the only goal of the game.

Thabo Mosadi almost found the perfect reply for the visitors, but his rasping shot moments later could only trouble the side-netting.

Chances were few and far between for the remainder of the half with both teams lacking real fluency, Pirates 1-0 up at the break.

The hosts squandered a glorious chance to double their lead four minutes following the interval, but Brandon Petersen was alert to the danger as he pulled off a great stop to deny Thabo Qalinge from close range. Pirates unable to capitalize on a 5 v 2 situation.

Thamsanqa Gabuza had the ball on the back of the net on two occasions in the ensuing 19 minutes, but on both occasions the linesman's flag was raised for offside - keeping the Urban Warriors in with a shout.

And Tashreeq Morris almost stole a point for the visitors in the dying stages of the clash, but he was denied by Wayne Sandilands who made a stunning close-range stop.

Orlando Pirates (1) 0 (Morrison 9')

Ajax Cape Town (0) 0

Orlando Pirates: Sandilands; Maela, Nyauza, Jele, Matlaba - Dube, Makola (Mobara 84'), Nyatama - Qalinge (Sarr 70'), Morrison (Lorch 58'), Gabuza

Ajax Cape Town: Petersen; Isaacs, Nhlapo, Booysen, Lebusa - Malepe, Mdabuka (Nxumalo 63'), Margeman (Nemukondeni 81') - Mosadi, Makua (Mzwakali 66'), Morris

Orlando Pirates will look to build on their solid start to the Absa Premiership season when they host Ajax Cape Town at Orlando Stadium on 12 September 2017, kick-off at 19h30.

Pirates have claimed four points from their opening two matches of the league campaign, with a 1-0 home win over Chippa United followed by a 1-1 draw away to Baroka just before the international break.

Coach Milutin Sredojevic hasn’t got the Buccaneers to ‘click’ quite as he would like, but already the Soweto giants look a far more formidable team than at any point in their disastrous 2016/17 campaign which ended with then finishing outside the top eight for the first time in PSL history.

Ajax have endured a difficult start to the season, opening with a 1-1 draw at home to Golden Arrows before slumping to a 2-0 defeat away to log leaders Maritzburg United.

The international break may have come as a relief for coach Stanley Menzo as he looks to get his side back on track. The Urban Warriors will target a quick return to winning form, but will have to up their game from the defeat to the Team of Choice last month.

In head-to-head stats, Pirates and Ajax have clashed in 36 league matches since 1999/2000. The Soweto side has generally dominated the rivalry, claiming 20 wins and suffering just six defeats in the teams’ rivalry. That is reflected in the Buccaneers’ home record against the Urban Warriors: 13 wins and just two defeats from 18 matches hosted.

Last season Pirates took four points off Ajax: they won 2-1 in Cape Town thanks to a brace from Tendai Ndoro (who had a stunning run of goal scoring form early in the campaign), while the return game in Soweto ended in a goalless stalemate. The results extended Bucs’ unbeaten record against the Warriors to 12 league matches, with the Cape side’s last win in the rivalry arriving in the second half of the 2010/11 season.

Pirates’ line-up from their 1-1 draw with Baroka on 22 August: Sandilands, Shitolo, Nyauza, Matlaba, Maela, Mobara (Nkosi 82'), Makola, Nyatama, Memela (Rakhale 59'), Qalinge (Kutumela 80'), Gabuza.

Ajax’s line-up from their 2-0 loss to Maritzburg on 23 August: Petersen; Isaacs, Nhlapo (Sait 14'), Chipeta, Lebusa, Mdabuka (Nxumalo 70'), Margeman, Mosadi, Kabwe, Mzwakali, Morris (George 78').