What a week it was for Pitso Mosimane and his Mamelodi Sundowns players. Crowned Telkom Knockout champions after hammering Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 in Durban last Wednesday‚ they went on to beat another Soweto giant in Orlando Pirates in the Absa Premiership in Pretoria on Sunday to make sure they end the year on top of the table.Sundowns are level on points (26) with Bidvest Wits‚ but have a superior goal difference.Leonardo Castro‚ who netted the opener in the Telkom Knockout final‚ scored the opener a quarter of an hour into the game before Khama Billiat‚ the man who created the first goal‚ wrapped it up with the second goal after the hour mark to inspire an eighth victory of the campaign for the six-time PSL champions.Eric Tinkler's future‚ meanwhile‚ will again come under scrutiny after the club's latest defeat left them just five points ahead of bottom of the table club Maritzburg United.After losing the CAF Confederation Cup final to Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel last month‚ Tinkler must know that he is living on borrowed time and the defeat to Sundowns may just be the end of the road for the former Bafana Bafana midfielder.Pirates have registered just two victories this season and it would take a miracle for them to come back and launch a tangible challenge for the title.On Sunday‚ in the heat of Pretoria which required a water break‚ the Buccaneers were very poor.They had the first clear cut chance of the game when striker Thamsanqa Gabuza found himself in a one of one situation. The former Golden Arrows man‚ however‚ squandered the opportunity as Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango‚ the Telkom Knockout hero‚ came off his line to make a save.Less the a minute after wasting a glorious opportunity‚ Gabuza and his Pirates teammates were made to pay the price by Sundowns' Colombian forward Castro‚ who tapped home the opener from close range after some fantastic work on the left by Billiat.Pirates did well to get into the Sundowns box a few times after conceding the goal‚ but their final ball always let them down as they went into the break trailing and desperately needing one of their key players to step up and inspire a come back.But it did not get better for the Buccaneers‚ who brought on Thabo Rakhale for Gabuza‚ in the second period.It was curtains for the visitors when Billiat banged home the second for Sundowns‚ the Zimbabwean keeping his cool in the box to slot the ball past Siyabonga Mpontshane in the Pirates goal.Sundowns could have scored a third in the final quarter of the game‚ but defender Wayne Arendse showed just why he plays at the back when he shot over the bar from close range.Right now Sundowns are on top of the world and Mosimane will be hoping they can continue where they left off in the new year and go on to win the title. But the likes of Wits‚ Chiefs and even Mpumalanga Black Aces will certainly give them a run for their money...