adminBongane Ndulula opened the scoring after just four minutes before Siyabonga Nhlapho equalised in the 24th minute. And just when it looked as if Bucs would have to settle for a point, Bester smashed home the winner from 25 yards out.
Ndulula got his side off to the perfect start when he bundled Ofusu Appiah off the ball before slotting home from close range.
And the Buccaneers went on to dominate possession and waste numerous half chances throughout the first half.
It therefore came as a surprise to everyone at Orlando Stadium when Cosmos bagged an unlikely equaliser.
Nhlapho cleverly created some space for himself and rocketed a 30-yard shot into the top left corner of the net.
Thabo Matlaba came close to restoring the lead for Pirates on the stroke of half time with a powerful shot but Phali did well to get his hands on the ball and send both sides in level pegging at the break.
An even more determined Bucs side emerged for the second half while Cosmos did their utmost to stifle their opponents.
The introduction of Daine Klate for Tlou Segolela added some much needed pace but a lack of cohesion going forward in search of a winner almost proved their downfall.
The usually influential Oupa Manyisa was restricted to shots from distance and when Klaite did deliver, from a corner, Thulasizwe Mbuyane, failed to get his header on target.
Lucky Lekgwathi should also have done better with a shot with 10 minutes of the match remaining following another Klate corner.
But Bester made no mistake when he set his sights on the Cosmos goal and let rip with a thunderous effort.
Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates interim coach Augusto Palacios launched a tirade at the club’s fickle supporters after the Buccaneers broke clear at the top of the Premiership table with a 2-1 win over Jomo Cosmos on Monday night.
“One thing I did not like was the behaviour of the supporters today,” Palacios said.
The crowd had called for the substitution of goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa after Cosmos player Siyabonga Nhlapho had the beating of the Buccanneers shot-stopper from almost 30 metres out in the 25th minute of the game.
“I cannot tolerate this. I can never tolerate this,” Palacios said.
“Our own supporters make a noise about our keeper after their goal, but the goal was perfect.
“The goal was from outside [the box], so why do they not say we didn’t close him down to not shoot.
“It’s a perception of people sometimes with Pirates players (that they should be substituted), but I will stay like this.”
Palacios said the Ghost, as the Pirates supporters are known, could not entice him to make changes on the field.
“The supporter needs to support the team,” he said.
“You cannot shout about who must go out.
“I can never make changes for the supporters, because then I would not be the coach.
“I have been at Pirates 17 years, and I know this team.”
Pirates scored a thunderbolt of their own in injury time, which sent them three points clear of Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the standings, after a draw seemed a likely result for the majority of the match.
“I said to the players that after the last two games that Cosmos played, especially against Ajax, they were going to be a difficult side to beat,” Palacios said.
“They had players coming from suspensions coming back into the team.
“We knew the organisation they had, the pace they have on the wing.
“They have a quick counter-attack, good set-pieces and they are solid at the back.”
Palacios heaped praise on a log-bottom Cosmos outfit he believed would avoid the relegation axe.
“They scored a good goal,” he said.
“We also scored a good goal from far out, but we managed to win the game and get three points.
“It was a very difficult game, and [they] played well.
“Cosmos are not a team that deserve to be in this position.” — Sport24/Sapa.
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