Monnapule Saleng came to Orlando Pirates’ rescue once again, scoring his fifth league goal of the season to improve his team’s chances to at least finish second on the DStv Premiership log and qualify for next year’s Caf Champions League.

Saleng and Terrence Dzvukamanja’s goals in either half gave the Buccaneers a 2-1 victory over Maritzburg United in a game that should have had more goals if Pirates were not as wasteful as they were when it came to their final passes and their shots at goals.

Tumelo Njoti gave Maritzburg some hope of at least salvaging a point when he scored off a corner kick in the 84th minute.

So awful were Pirates that their coach Jose Riveiro, sitting on the stands after getting a red card in a Nedbank Cup last 32 match last weekend, could not bear watching the final minutes of this match as his side battled to contain the visitors.

The win moves Pirates to third position on the table with 31 points after 20 matches, still 24 points behind runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns who have played one match more.

Saleng’s opener came on the stroke of halftime and Dzvukamanja wrapped up Bucs’ win with a second strike in the 72nd minute.

This match had been unwatchable and had no single shot on target before Saleng came with the opener when he decided to take a shot just outside the area.

Pirates had all the ball but lack ideas on how to use it when they reached the final third where Phillip Ndlondlo, Thembinkosi Lorch and Saleng failed to find Dzvukamanja with the final ball.

Maritzburg, coached by former Bucs assistant coach Fadlu Davids, saw little of the ball and only threatened to score when they tried to counter the home side.  

Pirates started the second half as wasteful as they were in the opening half, their final ball still very far from finding a player in a position to score.

Ndlondlo, however, came closest to doubling the home side’s lead, his low shot 20 minutes from time hitting the upright before Dzvukamanja put the score line beyond Maritzburg’s reach after heading in Saleng’s free kick.  

The win comes at a crucial time for Bucs as they face their Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs in their next league match at the FNB Stadium next Saturday.

Chiefs, who defeated Pirates 1-0 in the first round, are among four teams (the others are SuperSport United and Richards Bay) with a chance to finish second.