Golden Arrows captain Kagisho Dikgacoi scored a goal midway through the first half to earn his side a 1-0 victory over Orlando Pirates in the Absa Premiership at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday.

Golden Arrows captain Kagisho Dikgacoi scored a goal midway through the first half to earn his side a 1-0 victory over Orlando Pirates in the Absa Premiership at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday.

The Bafana Bafana midfield anchorman, who returned last week from trials at English Premiership club Fulham, scored the only goal of the match in the 23rd minute.

Arrows were the more positive and aggressive side. Pirates were a big disappointment. They did not have a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.

With the influential Teko Modise given little room to supply his forwards he became increasingly frustrated and resorted to the kind of rough stuff that he would normally be subjected to.

Arrows goalkeeper Brenden Wardle had little to do against a Pirates attack that lacked punch and imagination. Bucs' best effort in the first half came from a 20m rocket from Modise that flew over the crossbar in the 39th minute.

Bucs' skipper Lehlohonolo Seema almost scored a spectacular own goal in the 21st minute after a bad misunderstanding and lack of communication with goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs.

Arrows were awarded a penalty in the 66th minute but Josephs made a dramatic save to deny a stunned Dikgacoi.

Man of the match Wardle, who had an easy first half, was in the thick of the action at the start of the second half when he denied Benson Mhlongo an equaliser.

It later took a brilliant match-winning save from Wardle to stop a powerful header by Excellent Walaza 11 minutes from time. - Sapa