AmaTuks started new life without Barker
University of Pretoria’s search for their third successive victory in the Absa Premiership was scuppered after playing to a goalless draw against Orlando Pirates at Tuks Stadium on Wednesday evening.
University of Pretoria’s search for their third successive victory in the Absa Premiership was scuppered when they played to a goalless draw against Orlando Pirates at Tuks Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Pretoria outfit played their first game since being promoted to the league three years ago without the guidance of their former coach Steve Barker. He resigned from AmaTuks on Sunday to join the relegation-haunted club AmaZulu.
AmaTuks assistant coach Sammy Troughton and Seloatse ‘Sly’ Mosala took charge of the team that faced the high flying Buccaneers at the fully packed stadium. Goalkeeper Washington Arubi was the busier of the two shot stoppers and was forced to produce a number of excellent saves.
In the second minute of play, Arubi made a brilliant save of Lennox Bacela’s shot. The Buccaneers had a number of opportunities in the early minutes of the match but they were all in vain as AmaTuks were determined to defend the attacks. AmaTuks defended too deep for the better part of the first half and allowed the Buccaneers to enjoy high ball possession, but Bucs failed to use it to their advantage.
In the final minutes before the half-time break, the hosts dominated ball possession, but, Troughton’s side could not trouble Pirates’ young goalkeeper Brighton Mhlongo. Ayanda Gcaba and Rooi Mahamutsa kept Atusaye Nyondo and Thabo Mnyamane at bay with superb defense.
Both sides went to the half-time break without scoring. Former Polokwane City player Thabo Rakhale had terrorised AmaTuks defenders on the right flank but his crosses were not converted to goals by the club’s front men.
The Soweto giants could have made it 1-0 in the 72nd minute when Lennox Bacela missed an opportunity with only goalkeeper Arubi to beat. Although Vladimir Vermezovic’s boys did everything they could to disrupt the ever determined Tuks players, they couldn’t convert their chances which was a concern to the Serbian coach.
Vermezovic admitted that had Bacela scored his 11th minute chance from Daine Klate’s pass, Pirates would have won the match. “You know it could have been different, if we had scored that first opportunity through Lennox. Because this team of Pirates is totally different after scoring.
“But at the end of the day, it is one point away. Look, some people will say a point is not enough, but it is point by point,” he said.
AmaTuks played without their inspirational captain Tebogo Monyai who was serving a one-match ban.
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