Moroka Swallows all but sunk Orlando Pirates Absa Premiership hopes when they defeated Bucs 2-1 in a Soweto Derby played at Rustenburg's Olympia Park on Sunday.

Both goalkeepers Moeneeb Josephs and Greg Etafia made terrible howlers that each resulted in a goal.

The Birds now have 32 points ? five behind leaders SuperSport United with a game in hand and one ahead of Bucs. But Pirates can consider themselves unlucky to lose this Derby.

But there was controversy when referee Jerome Damon disallowed a Siphelele Mthembu goal in the 74th minute with Birds leading 2-1.

The win means that the Birds have made South African soccer history in that they have beaten both their Soweto rivals in a season in back-to-back matches in successive weeks at the same venue for the first time.

Last weekend the Birds scored a 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs and coach Julio Cesar Leal used the same tactics that proved successful against Amakhosi with Birds congesting the midfield and hitting Bucs on the break.

Bucs dominated the opening 45 minutes and had it not been for some good goalkeeping from Nigerian, Etafia, and some poor finishing Pirates could have wrapped up the match before the break.

Instead the Buccaneers changed over 1-0 down. The goal was against the run of play and the result of a bad goalkeeping error from Josephs.

The form of both Pirates keepers this season Josephs and Senzo Meyiwa must be giving coach Ruud Krol sleepless nights.

The Birds stated off brightly for the opening 10 minutes but found themselves under the cosh for the remainder of the half.

Birds midfielder Mark Haskins floated a free kick over the Bucs crossbar in the second minute and five minutes later Haskins weaved past the ball watching Pirates defence and unleashed a great shot that went narrowly wide.

Pirates started to get their game together and a good block from Birds defender Edward Malinga deflected Dikgang Mabalane's shot for a corner in the eighth minute.

Etafia spilt a shot from Reason Chiloane on 11 minutes but managed to recover and smother the loose ball. Etafia did well in the 13th minute to stop Mthembu from profiting from an error from Brazilian born defender Vinicius da Silva.

Mthembu then beat the offside trap two minutes later but none of his team-mates were up with play and Malinga was able to boot the ball out of danger. Etafia did well again to deny Teko Modise a goal in the 29th minute and a minute later the Nigerian international brilliantly pushed a Chiloane pile driver for a corner as Bucs piled on the pressure.

But Birds opened the scoring after Josephs failed to deal with what looked a routine cross from defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele and Kagiso Denge tapped in from close range for an easy goal.

Modise shot timidly at Etafia with the goal at his mercy in the 48th minute as Bucs tried to get back on level terms.

But the Birds came alive and took a 2-0 lead when Ndlovu who scored both goals against Chiefs headed home his fourth of the season after connecting a cross from Morgan Shivambu in the 54th minute.

But then Etafia made a dreadful mistake when he failed to catch Mabalane's cross in the 61st minute and missed. Mthembu crashed home the ball to make it 2-1 to bring Pirates back into the game.

Birds defence survived a goal mouth scare three minutes later as Pirates went for the equaliser.

Mthembu did have the ball in the back of the Birds net, but his 76th minute header was ruled offside.

Then Modise blasted over the crossbar when he was in a good position to score in the 84th minute.