Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer admitted Golden Arrows were deserved winners in their Premiership clash at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium on Tuesday.
Just days after recording their third win over Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs this season, the Buccaneers were handed a rude awakening as Pule Mmodi's scored either side of the half-time break to help Abafana Bes'thende claim a 2-0 victory.
Zinnbauer felt his side failed to impose themselves on proceedings in the first half, and bemoaned their failure to put the Arrows defence under any real pressure.
"First-half we were not on the field, we came in the game a little bit but in the final third we could not find the solution," Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV.
"It was frustrating for me and in the second half, we changed the players, we changed the system."
Pirates had a great chance to level matters on the hour mark after earning a penalty but Thembinkosi Lorch fired over the bar, letting Arrows off the hook.
Zinnbauer continued: "But you don't score, you have the opportunities, a penalty, I think when you get a draw [equaliser] with a penalty then it's a different game.
"But we make a mistake in the defence, then they scored and the game is open. We tried what we can but we lost the game. I think it's deserved for the opponent.
"We have some games you don't have the first opportunity to score, you have the penalty and you don't score, that is not enough for us.
"I'm very disappointed, I'm frustrated. If you make a mistake then you get a goal, these players it's not their intention, it's a game you have to win, they fight, they run, they do what they can.
"We lost the game in the first half, we had opportunities to score, Lorch is a top player, normally he scores but today it was not possible, all the players are frustrated. You saw after the game the heads go down.
"They know they had opportunities, we did not make the best game but we can make a draw or maybe more but now it's important we take our heads up and start again."
- TEAMtalk media
