WATCH: Pirates come back from two goals down to plunder all three points against SuperSport

Abel Mabaso and Bandile Shandu of Orlando Pirates celebrate during their DStv Premiership match against Supersport United at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg on Wednesday. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Abel Mabaso and Bandile Shandu of Orlando Pirates celebrate during their DStv Premiership match against Supersport United at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg on Wednesday. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Published Mar 16, 2022

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Johannesburg — Goodman Mosele scored deep into stoppage time to hand Orlando Pirates all three points as they came from two goals down to beat SuperSport United 3-2 in a DStv Premiership match at a wet Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.

SuperSport’s coach Kaitano must have left the game with more grey hair than ever having witnessed his side relinquish a two-goal lead before half-time, before losing the game in stoppage time.

Pirates, though, will be the happier of the two teams as the result sees them move up to third on the table, but they still trail Mamelodi Sundowns by 16 points and are one point behind newly promoted Royal AM, who have two games in hand.

Pirates have blown hot and cold this term, and were in for a shock when the visitors found themselves 2-0 up inside 20 minutes. Pirates’ problem was mostly in defence, with SuperSport exploiting their defensive loopholes through well taken struck set-pieces.

In the seventh minute, Jamie Webber whipped in a telling corner-kick that Pirates failed to clear before it found an unmarked Kegan Johannes who rattled his shot low and hard through the traffic of defence and past Richard Ofori.

But while you’d have expected Pirates to come up and nullify SuperSport's threat going forward, they sat back and the visitors continued to push more numbers going forward.

SuperSport were 2-0 up after Webber delivered another trademark set-piece which Gamphani Lungu managed to head past Ofori after getting in between two defenders.

Midfilder Thabang Monare was replaced by Abel Mabaso after sustaining an injury. But soon thereafter, the visitors suffered the same fate as Jesse Donn was replaced by Thalent Mbatha in the midfield as the two teams altered their play.

But when the visitors thought they would go into the break with a comfortable lead, Pirates had other ideas as Johannes turned from hero to zero. On the stroke of halftime, Johannes impeded Dzvukamanja inside the box from behind.

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) March 16, 2022

The referee unreluctantly pointed to the spot and Deon Hotto sent Ronwen Williams the wrong way. And soon thereafter, Pirates equalised from another smashing penalty from Hotto after Johannes had once again fouled Dzvukamanja.

Pirates’ porous defence of set-piece nearly came back to haunt them as Thatayaone Ditlhokwe’s close-range header was cleared off the line by Hotto following another well-taken corner-kick from Webber early in the second stanza.

The two benches made some substitutions in the second half, but it was Mosele who chipped in with the goods right at death as he placed a long-range effort past Williams after a lovely cut-back from Mabaso from the edge of the box.

@Mihlalibaleka

IOL Sport