Goal-shy Pirates rue missed chances
Orlando Pirates head coach Milutin Sredojevic has admitted his side’s woes in front of goal are a huge concern and says they are working hard to try and resolve the problem.
The Buccaneers once again managed to create chances, but could not convert them as they lost 1-0 to Bloemfontein Celtic at the Free State Stadium on Sunday.
The defeat was the second for the Buccaneers in the league, having lost by the same scoreline to Bidvest Wits in their previous game. They have now played four league games, recording one win, one draw and two losses, managing to secure only four points out of a possible 12 and scoring only two goals in the process.
“It was a very disappointing result, however, the spirit of the team is still there and it is something we have to take from this match. We need to improve in terms of the speed of our buildups ... and endangering the goals of the opponents,” said Sredojevic.
“It is very concerning (not scoring) and we are working very hard in trying to solve that problem. We need to create more chances and be more effective in front of goal and bury those chances.”
The Buccaneers coach said his side played well in the early stages of the game but lost momentum as the game went on.
“We started well, but we allowed our opponents to counter-attack. We prepared very well for set-pieces, but our lapse in concentration led to us conceding that goal from a corner which was not supposed to happen. And from that moment, we played against 11 players who were playing for the result and their supporters,” he continued.
“We got the ball in the right areas. However, we looked very predictable and we were supposed to play fast when moving the ball to the side to try and put pressure in the area in front of their back four.”
Sredojevic will have plenty of time to work on the team’s goal-scoring problems alongside the club’s finishing expert Stephane Adam, with their next game set to be played on August 28 against Black Leopards at Peter Mokaba Stadium.