Orlando Pirates midfielder Ben Motshwari admits that his side had to ‘dig deep’ to secure all three points against a difficult side like AmaZulu.

The Buccaneers walked away with all three points against Usuthu after securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Benni McCarthy’s side at the Orlando Stadium on Thursday evening.

The result saw Pirates remain in fourth place, level on 46 points with Golden Arrows, while AmaZulu remains in second place four points above the Soweto giants.

Motshwari, who was named Man of the Match, has reserved special praise for Siyethemba Sithebe, who was outstanding throughout the entire game.

‘It’s a big one today, we had to dig deep to get the three points. We have not been doing well especially in the league, this one is a major three points for us going into the next one against TS Galaxy,’ Motshwari told SuperSport TV after the game.

‘It’s a good confidence booster for the team. For us it was important to break their attacks you know, they are a good side especially when they pass the ball, going through the middle.

‘So we had to stop them in the middle of the park for them not to have their key players playing, your Sithebes and we did well today defensively as a team.

‘To show that they are a great side we had to score with a set-piece you know, it shows that it was a difficult match for us today. It shows how three points means for both teams, it was a crucial one for us, I’m happy we got the three points.’