AFTER nine frustrating fixtures in the DStv Premiership this season, Cape Town Spurs finally bagged their first win of the 2023/24 campaign following a spirited 2-1 victory over Orlando Pirates at the DHL Stadium on Wednesday night.
In what was jubilant scenes at the popular Cape Town Stadium, two first half goals by Lubeni Haukongo and Jarrod Moroole was enough for the Urban Warriors to earn their first points of the league season.
Spurs got the game off to a flyer and took the lead as early as the second minute of the encounter. After getting a second chance at dropping the ball into the box, Haukongo managed to get on the end of a bouncing ball across the six-yard area.
Soon after conceding, Pirates immediately went on the attack in search of a reply. After some 10 minutes on the clock, the travelling side bossed the possession count as they slowly asserted themselves on the tie.
The Urban Warriors grew into the game after the 20th minute mark with the likes of Keagan Buchanan and Morne Nel running the show in the middle of the park.
Pirates were presented with a golden opportunity to level matters in the 34th minute, as Evidence Makgopa came agonisingly close to getting his name on the scoresheet. With Deon Hotto playing a teasing ball played across the area, the Spurs defenders did enough to take Makgopa out of his stride.
At the other end of the pitch, Jarrod Moroole doubled Spurs lead in the 35th minute after a clever bit of interplay on the edge of the opposition penalty area. Latching onto a dinked ball into the box, the midfielder slotted the ball home after a first time save by the goalkeeper.
However, it was Pirates who had the last say of the half, as Makgopa made up for his miss earlier in the tie. After taking a short corner, Tapelo Xoki squared the ball back into the area with an accurate header as Makgopa finished with from close range.
The Buccaneers saw most of the ball after the restart and created a couple of goalscoring opportunities in the process.
However, Spurs did not hold back despite playing against the cosh and looked threatening in transition.
With 70 minutes on the clock, Pirates began turning the screws as Thembinkosi Lorch and Karim Kimvuidi proved to be the creators-in-chief for their side going forward.
Patrick Maswanganyi forced a point-blank save out of goalkeeper Sam Ramsbottom in the 84th minute following a scramble inside the Spurs 18-yard-area, as yet another chance went begging for the visiting outfit.
Nevertheless, the Mother City outfit held on to jot down their first points of the campaign.
Cape Town Spurs: (2) 2 (Haukongo 2’, Moroole 35’)
Orlando Pirates: (1) 1 (Makgopa 43’)
CAPE TOWN SPURS: Ramsbottom, Moroole (Butsaka 76’), Nel, Daniels (Allie 76’), Haukongo, Lukhubeni, Morton (Bern 76’), Buchanan, Dortley, Phewa (Ralani 68’), Cupido (Baartman 49’)
ORLANDO PIRATES: Buthelezi, Hotto, Xoki, Ndah (Pule 88’), Monyane (Shandu 88’), Timm (Kimvuidi 45’), Monare, Lorch, Erasmus (Saleng 64’), Maswanganyi, Makgopa-Source by Backpage TXT
