NELSPRUIT – It proved to be a miserable night at a rainy Mbombela Stadium for Orlando Pirates after they were hammered 6-1 by SuperSport United in an extraordinary Absa Premiership encounter.

And things got even worse after the game for the Johannesburg side when head coach Muhsin Ertugral declared his intention to step down from his job – live on national television.

“I have no thoughts – I’m ashamed of the situation for this great club, I have no words. I have never seen such a disastrous 45 minutes like that, we completely blacked out. I don’t think in Pirates’ history they have ever lost by such a margin. I can only speak to the chairman tomorrow and put my resignation [forward],” said a distraught Ertugral.

Back to the game – one that will live long in the memory of all those who watched – Pirates actually scored first, via a 43rd minute effort from Tendai Ndoro, but three goals between the 51st and 56th minutes put Stuart Baxter’s side in command and they never looked back as they went on to add a further three as the Soweto giants imploded.

The opening half, indeed most of the game, provided some of the most riveting action of the season so far as both teams attacked relentlessly, chance after chance arriving at both ends of the field with both goalkeepers very much in the thick of the action.

SuperSport had the first opportunity after six minutes when Thuso Phala’s powerfully-struck effort was pushed around the post by Brighton Mhlongo.

Mpho Makoka then waltzed through the Matsatsantsa defence in the 10th minute before trying an audacious chip over Ronwen Williams, but the keeper tipped the ball behind goal.

Then it was SuperSport’s turn again, Bradley Grobler inches away from finding the bottom corner before he had a close-range effort bravely saved by Mhlongo.

Pirates should have taken the lead on 28 minutes when Thabo Rakhale’s ball sliced open the home defence, but Riyaad Norodien slid his parting shot straight at a grateful Williams.

The deadlock was finally broken two minutes before half time when a brilliant pass from Thabo Matlaba released Rakhale, whose cross was bundled home by Ndoro for his seventh of the season.

The action continued immediately after the restart and after a couple of half-chances, Matsatsantsa restored parity in the 51st minute when Reneilwe Letsholonyane netted from a tight angle at the near-post with a shot Mhlongo should have kept out.

Three minutes later and the Pretoria side were ahead for the first time when Letsholonyane’s cross picked out an unmarked Clayton Daniels for a simple tap-in.

The team in blue were now sniffing blood and they had their third goal in the 56th minute when Mhlongo made a hash of trying to clear a free kick, the resultant goalmouth scramble allowing Michael Boxall to score.

It surely couldn’t get worse for Pirates, but it did – just seven minutes later, when the visibly shaken Mhlongo punched a ball he should have caught, he had to watch as Phala superbly rifled the ball into the top corner.

The goal left Ertugral remonstrating angrily on the side-lines, his sign language clearly suggesting that Mhlongo should have held the ball, and having already lost one goalkeeper – Felipe Ovono, to poor form, the club has a goalkeeping crisis to deal with.

Grobler added insult to injury in the 74th minute with a well-taken header in at the far post after Phala’s inviting cross, 5-1.

The rout was completed three minutes from time when Brockie scored from the penalty spot after he had been taken down by Mhlongo. Replays actually showed that the contact had come outside the box, but that was just the type of night Pirates were having.

It was therefore almost no surprise that when Pirates were given the chance to reduce the deficit after being awarded a penalty on 90 minutes, Williams palmed Ndoro’s spot kick away from goal, leaving the Buccaneers with a whole lot of soul searching to do and possibly without a head coach.