Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer has bemoaned his side’s performance after they dropped points against Swallows FC on Saturday.
Pirates fell behind early on, after Thulani Hlatshwayo deflected an unfortunate own goal in the 15th minute. However, Tshegofatso Mabasa came off the bench to level matters.
A point was definitely better than defeat but Zinnbauer believes his side could have gotten all three points from that game, given their performance on the evening.
“Difficult. First chance from the opponent was an own goal. And then it’s not easy to come back against a deep block in the first-half. But we came back. In the first-half, we hit the post, other chances we could have got the equaliser earlier,” Zinnbauer said after the game.
“In the second half it was the same. We completely dominated the game. Yes, they had counter-attacks but that’s normal if you need a goal. You give them a little more space when you need the goal.
“We got the equaliser and we still went forward. We wanted the next goal. We had a lot more opportunities where we could have scored. That’s the reason why I can say that I am not happy. The performance was very good but the result was not enough for the performance we had. Normally you get three points.
“These are the things we want. Forward playing, dominating in the final third, creating chances. This is what the team understands. The players were not tired. They wanted to go forward and win the game. It is the right direction that we are going. But for this performance, you have to get the three points.”
It marks yet another game where Pirates conceded an early goal and had to chase for a point in the latter stages. For their next clash, the Buccaneers will turn their attention to the continent as they take on a must-win game against Nigerian giants Enyimba in the CAF Confederations Cup.
Pirates have now played out to stalemates in their last two consecutive games across all competitions. However, they remain firmly in fourth place in the PSL, two points behind third-placed Golden Arrows and five points behind second-placed Amazulu.