Orlando Pirates' four-match winning streak came to an end after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Golden Arrows at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Pirates were unchanged from their 2-0 win over JS Saoura in the CAF Confederations Cup, while Pule Mmodi was making his 50th appearance for Arrows.
It was a good start to the DStv Premiership encounter with slick passing and movement making it difficult for either team to impose their pressing game.
It became a bit scrappy as the match drew on with plenty of niggly fouls resulting a stop-start spell in the match.
There was a brief moment of concern for Pirates when Lorch was left stricken on the ground after a full-blooded change from Mmodi, who received a yellow card. But the Bucs talisman got to his feet and allayed any injury fears.
Goodman Mosele handballed on the edge of the box in a good position for Arrows slightly on the left. Nduduzo Sibiya stood over the ball and he went for the far post with the ball shaving the outside of the upright.
Pirates then had their best attempt of the match when Ntsako Makhubela showed his pace down the right-hand side and cut the ball back to Deon Hotto, who blazed over the bar on his lesser-favoured right foot.
As the sides went into the interval, they had only one attempt at goal apiece, with Sibiya’s set-piece by far the closest either team had come to finding the back of the net.
Pirates were pushing more numbers forward in search of the opener, where Makhubela let it run through his legs for Hotto, whose shot was blocked.
Little was happening in either half and Pirates were the first team to shake things up with Makhubela making way for Kabelo Dlamini and Fortune Makaringe coming on for Thabang Monare.
Dlamini looked to made an immediate impact and after a slick combination of passing and movement, Hotto teed him on the edge of the box with the substitute’s first-time shot kept out by Gumede.
Gumede once again produced the heroics for Abafana Bes’thende when he made a great diving save to deny Lepasa’s flicked header.
Arrows had a fantastic opportunity for a smash-and-grab. Saziso Magawana skinned his marker down the left and fired the ball into the box for Siboniso Cele, who couldn’t turn the ball in with it slightly behind him.
The second half was a much more eventful but neither side managed to find the back of the net as the match finished goalless.
