Orlando Pirates made it two wins in two Premier Soccer League matches last night, with substitute Ndumiso Mabena scoring a rare goal in the 66th minute for the Buccaneers.

Pirates handed Platinum Stars their first defeat of the season after the Phokeng-based club had a bright start to the new campaign.

They beat last season's runners-up, Ajax Cape Town, 2-0 in their PSL opener on Saturday at the Royal Bafokeng stadium.

Mabena came on for another striker, Bongani Ndulula, late in the second half, and it wasn't long before he grabbed the winning goal for the defending champions.

A well taken free kick from midfielder Oupa Manyisa found an unmarked Mabena in the Platinum Stars penalty box and the striker's header found the net.

Stars had numerous opportunities to take the lead, but their last line of attack had plenty of shortcomings. Skipper Henrico Botes was wasteful, while man of the match Thuso Phala did all the hard work on the wings, but nothing came of it.

Bradley Grobler could have levelled the scoreboard in the 89th minute. However, Tlou Segolela deflected his shot, from a freekick, for a corner, with goalie Moeneeb Josephs stranded.

It was Daine Klate who got Pirates up and running early in the first half. The winger rounded off Stars goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane, but gave the opposition team's defence ample time to recover and clear the ball from the danger area. Klate also saw his freekick saved by Mabokgwane in the 16th minute.

For all the pre-match talk that Stars coach Owen da Gama hadn't yet figured out how the Buccaneers would play, the coach had done his homework.

Segolela was his usual self, full of running and making space while moving from the right and left flanks.

But he couldn't get the final ball into the Stars penalty box to find his Pirates teammates.

Even when Benni McCarthy came on for Klate, Pirates still struggled to get the ball over a Stars rearguard led by captain Mbuyiselo Sambu and Innocent Mkhabela.

McCarthy had a chance to increase Pirates' lead in the 82nd minute, but keeper Mabokgwane saved his cleverly taken freekick from just outside the edge of the box.

Botes was eventually substituted. He was played out of the game by one of the best performances from Buccaneers defender Siyabonga Sangweni.

The Bafana defender is fast making his mark in the Pirates line-up, having displaced Rooi Mahamutsa from partnering Lucky Lekgwathi in central defence.

With six points from two matches, Pirates are now tied at the top of the log with Bloemfontein Celtic. The Free State team defeated the newly promoted Black Leopards 2-0 at the Seisa Ramabodu stadium in Bloemfontein.