Pirates suffer title blow in Athlone

by Staff Reporter

Saturday May 04, 2019. 18:20

Orlando Pirates were held to a 2-2 draw by Cape Town City in an high-octane Absa Premiership clash at Athlone Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The result moves the Buccaneers a point above Mamelodi Sundowns heading into the final week of the season, but the Brazilians have a game in hand over their rivals. City remain in fourth place.

The Citizens opened the scoring after just 20 seconds as Zukile Kewuti poked home into an empty net following a mad scramble inside the area that led to a defensive error by Marshall Munetsi and subsequent goal.

Pirates hit back in the 16th minute through Thembinkosi Lorch. The attacker beat the offside trap, latching on Musa Nyatama's defence-splitting pass, before sliding the ball home.

The Buccaneers hit the front five minutes after the interval through Luvuyo Memela. Peter Leeuwenburgh denied Lorch on two occasions, but could do nothing to keep out Memela who fired into an empty net at the second time of asking.

City, though, would pull level once more in the 84th minute as Craig Martin nodded home Thato Mokeke's pin-point cross.

The hosts were only denied a late winner by Wayne Sandilands with the shot-stopper pulling off a superb save to keep out Riyaad Norodien's rasping free-kick in added time.

Cape Town City (1) 2 (Kewuti 1' Martin 84')
Orlando Pirates (1) 2 (Lorch 16' Memela 50')

Cape Town City: Leeuwenburgh; Edmilson, Cupido, Feiles, Mkhize, Mokeke, Kewuti, David (Norodien 81'), Links, Martin, Mthembu (Roberts 70').

Orlando Pirates: Sandilands; Jele, Munetsi, Maela (Qalinge 90'), Nyatama, Motshwari, Dube (Mulenga 87'), Pule, Memela (Mlambo 75'), Lorch, Shonga.