Wome says Pirates need to fight harder to win the ball in cup replay against Free State Stars

Orlando Pirates’ defensive problems start from up-front‚ with not winning the second ball identified as a frailty the Buccaneers displayed in their defeat last week against Free State Stars‚ says Togolese striker Dove Wome.

Pirates appeared surprised by the intensity displayed by Stars‚ who at one stage threatened to run away with the game with a 3-1 lead in last Saturday’s 3-2 Absa Premiership victory at James Motlatsi Stadium in Orkney.

Wome said lessons learned form that game going into a Nedbank Cup last-16 replay against Serame Letsoaka’s dangerous Stars at the same venue on Saturday night are to defend from the front‚ and work harder at winning the second ball.

Certainly‚ Stars appeared quicker to the ball and hungrier in the challenge stunning Bucs last weekend‚ as Pirates capitulated to a 12th league match without a win to remain rooted in 11th place.

Wome said Pirates are well aware they will need a much-improved performance in Orkney on Saturday to preserve their final chance at silverware this season.

“The defence starts from up-front. Us‚ as the strikers‚ we need to pressurise the Stars defenders so that the ball does not come out easily‚” the Bucs forward said.

“We as the strikers are involved in the defence. We can’t just blame the defenders.

“We’ve tried to rectify the mistakes. We’ve watched the video of the game and seen out weaknesses‚ and their weaknesses too.

“We’ve been working on that. Especially that we’re not fighting for the second ball.”

Fighting for the second ball‚ for the uninitiated‚ means winning the ball that has come free after players try to win long passes in the air.

Bucs winger Thembinkosi Lorch admitted that the struggling Soweto giants were taken by surprise by the intensity of Stars‚ even though third-last Ea Lla Koto had shown notable signs of improvement since Letsoaka took over as coach in mid-February.

“Free State Stars are a good team and it’s very hard to play them at their home ground‚ where they are very aggressive‚” Lorch said.

“So this week we have been planning for them. We have to use our strengths to win the game.

“It’s not going to be easy‚ obviously. But we have to go there and win‚ playing as a team.”

Stars have been solid under ex-Golden Arrows and Bloemfontein Celtic coach and Safa technical director Letsoaka‚ winning three of seven games and drawing two‚ losing just twice. They progressed 2-0 past Highlands Park in the Nedbank last-32.

Pirates are yet to win a league game in four under their new coach‚ Kjell Jonevret. They did win in the previous round of the Nedbank‚ 3-1 away against third-tier Eastern Cape Bees in East London.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport