Action that flowed in the first half became slower and more cagey in the second, the stop-start nature playing more into the home team’s hands, given they had been on the back foot.
Then Bucs applied their best sustained six minutes of pressure, could not score, and then conceded.
Mbatha’s low, swerving shot was blocked by Keet in the 68th.
Moments later Pirates earned a softly-awarded penalty by referee Sikhumbuzo Gasa. A chip was played to Patrick Maswanganyi on the right of the box who went down under the attention of Tshegofatso Nyama, though it looked a 50/50 challenge.
Maswanganyi’s spot-kick was stopped by Keet.
Moments later Keet stopped again from Mofokeng’s mazy run and a goalmouth scramble.
With the traffic all one-way and Pirates unable to capitalise, the situation was ripe for a City smash and grab. They got it when substitute Jayden Rhodes fought into the area and teed up Gonzalez on the edge, whose strike took a big deflection to beat Keet.