Tendai Ndoro fires Pirates past Chippa United

Tendai Ndoro netted his ninth goal of the season to hand Orlando Pirates a hard-won three-point haul away at Chippa United but a controversial ending denied the home side a deserved share of the spoils in Port Elizabeth.

Veteran striker Katlego Mashego had a penalty appeal in the last minute turned down by referee Daniel Bennett, denying the home side a legitimate-looking appeal.

Pirates’ 1-0 win moves them above arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs as they won for a third time since Augusto Palacios took over as interim coach.

Chippa’s winless streak is now extended to seven games but this was one match they deserved to have got a lot more out.

Mashego was tumbled over by Patrick Phungwayo but despite appeals the referee did not give the kick to the disgust of the hoe side.

Chippa again set out to dominate the possession stakes in the match but looked a little nervy in the opening exchanges and could have gone behind early had Pirates’ not been caught offside.

Both Ndoro and Thabo Rakhale were caught by the offside trap when they should have been more alert to the possibility of straying off.

But while Chippa kept up a high percentage of the possession, they always looked vulnerable when Pirates went on the attack.

And so it proved after just 21 minutes when Luvuyo Memela provided the perfect square ball for Ndoro to tuck away, as he snuck right in between the defenders to find himself in the perfect position.

Chippa should have equalised in the 32nd minute when they won a free kick right on the edge of the area but Katlego Mashego missed the target when a powerful striker might have done the trick.

Three minutes later there was a horror miss from David Zulu, who had just come on for injured Vusumuzi Mncube. A perfect cross from the left from Paseka Mako was met by a powerful header by Thembinkosi Lorch that Jackson Mabokgwane palmed away right to Zulu in front of goal. Somehow, inexplicably, he missed from just a few metres out.

The second half started at a furious pace with Rakhale denied by the legs of Chippa goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi as Mpho Makola’s clever chip found him unmarked at the back post.

But again Chippa dominated the attacking movements, failing with their decisive passes.

Diamond Thopola’s effort, after Loch’s 62nd minute free kick was blocked, slipped from Mabokgwane’s grasp and trickled onto the post only to bounce back fortuitously into his arms. Such was the night for the hosts.