ORLANDO Pirates battled hard to secure a narrow 1-0 victory against newly promoted Orbit College.
The Betway Premiership clash took place at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday, 26 August.
The Buccaneers stretched their winning run, but it was far from smooth sailing as Orbit gave them a proper test in front of a buzzing crowd.
Orbit, who already bagged their first-ever Premiership victory against Sewelele earlier this month, once again showed that they won't be pushovers.
The Mswenko Boys frustrated Pirates in the first half, pressing them high and forcing the Bucs' goalkeeper into key saves. The Sea Robbers couldn't even register a single shot on target before halftime.
Coach Pogiso Makhoye's boys showed guts but are still searching for consistency in the top flight. In their opening four matches, Orbit managed one win, conceded five goals and scored only once.
Pirates only found their spark after coach Abdeslam Ouaddou rang the changes in the second stanza. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 56th minute when defender Lebone Seema popped up with the first shot on target, and it turned out to be the match-winner.
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Ouaddou admitted that the first-half showing left him unimpressed.
"We planned to start with high pressure and score early, but it didn't go as expected. We lost too many balls and lacked control. The opponent was very good in the middle and made life tough for us," he said.
But he was relieved that his substitutes made the difference.
"In the second half, we improved step by step. The target is to be more consistent, whether in the first half or the second half. If we want to be at the top end of the table, we need to dominate games more and control the tempo," Ouaddou added.
On the other side, Orbit coach Makhoye was proud of his players despite the narrow defeat.
"We had a good game plan. We didn't want their centre-backs to build from the back, so we pressed them high. The boys did well, especially in the first half."
He also reminded fans that his side is still adapting to the big stage.
Makhoye added that the team is still finding its feet.
"The first five games are like an experiment for us because we didn't have a proper pre-season. Even without some key players, those who came in tonight performed well," he said.
Other results:
- Richards Bay 1 - 0 Chippa United
- Polokwane City 0 - 0 Durban City
- TS Galaxy 2 - 0 Sewelele
- Stellenbosch 1 - 0 Marumo Gallants
