Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer has rued his side’s missed chances after dropping points against SuperSport United on Wednesday.

The Buccaneers missed the chance to overtake second-placed SuperSport following a 1-1 draw at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Pirates got off to a flying start and opened the scoring in the 10th minute through Vincent Pule, but an own goal by Ben Motshwari meant the sides walked away with a point apiece.

‘First half was good. Problem was we lost Lorch, but we come in the game and we scored but in the second half, the first 15 minutes, we were a little too casual,’ Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV after the game.

‘We start good but then we go a little bit back. The situation with Tyson. He comes out for two or three minutes and then we lost a little bit our structure.

‘Then they get the goal and we come back. Good opportunities. I cannot say that my team don’t work. They make a good work but you see it in the end of the day – in the last five minutes – two good opportunities to score. But we didn’t have the luck that we needed to win the three points.’

However, Zinnbauer felt his side had enough opportunities to kill off the game and snatch all three points from SuperSport.

‘You have to score earlier. If you get the second goal you finish the game,’ he said.

‘Then it’s easier for us. We had a lot of good transitions for counter-attack but we are not calm enough. We shoot from 20 metres when we have another option to play in the box and we don’t do this … and this is the problem when you have to win against a top team in the league.

‘The feeling for the second goal. We had a lot of opportunities but we don’t score. You cannot win three points when you have chances but don’t score.’

The German mentor also explained his reasoning for bringing on Azola Tshobeni for the injured Thembinkosi Lorch before replacing him with Kabelo Dlamini in the second half.

‘Azola was injured last week,’ said the Pirates coach.

‘He had a problem with his ankle. We wanted a new, fresh player in. And Dlamini’s a player that finds a solution in a low block and he can score also. This was the reason for us.

‘But Azola had a good game. Remember he is only 17 years old. He made a very good game.’