Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates played out to a 1-1 draw in their DStv Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening.
With both teams last playing league football in December, it would always be a struggle to find fluidity in a fixture of its magnitude.
The build-up to the fixture was dominated by former Pirates talisman Thembinkosi Lorch, who switched to Chloorkop on transfer deadline day.
He earned an immediate start under head coach Rulani Mokwena but it was a rather rusty display, dominated by some physical challenges from both sides.
It interrupted the game’s flow, with Pirates looking the better outfit at the break with their high-pressing game suffocating the Sundowns midfield at times.
But for all their efforts, two yellow cards for Miguel Timm, one for a challenge on Lorch and the next early in the second half for preventing Ronwen Williams from releasing an early goal-kick saw them down to 10 men before the hour mark.
One of Sundowns’ other big-money signings Matias Esquivel was then brought in for his debut and on for Lorch but his first meaningful contribution was entering the book.
The game sprung into life after the 70th minute, with Marcelo Allende opening the scoring with a deflected effort and three minutes later Tapelo Xoki converted a spot-kick to draw the Buccaneers level.
Sundowns remain at the summit with nine points ahead of second placed Cape Town City with two games in hand, while Pirates are in fifth, 13 points behind.
