Harrison aiming to help Arrows find mark

MARK Harrison is happy with his first week in charge of Lamontville Golden Arrows as they prepare for the Telkom Knockout quarterfinal against Orlando Pirates next week Wednesday.

Harrison was hastily installed as the new coach at Abafana Bes'thende following the resignation of Manqoba Mngqithi earlier this month and the international break has given the former Chippa United boss time to work with his new players.

"It's been really good. The players obviously need a little bit of time to adjust to me and I need some time to look at them, but they have been very responsive to what we have done so far and they seem to be a bright and happy bunch," Harrison said.

"With time we will develop more of an understanding about how we play, but we had a friendly at the weekend and it was great to see the boys out there playing."

Harrison's first competitive fixture will come in next week's Telkom Knockout quarterfinal in Orlando. He admits he is unsure whether it is best to start off with a massive match like this or a more low-profile fixture.

"The answer to that will only be known after the game," he said. "They [Pirates] are on a high at the moment having reached the semifinals of the Champions League and are a very strong outfit. But when you work in the PSL these are the games you want to be playing, at the highest level possible, and so you embrace these matches."

Harrison masterminded a 1-0 win for Chippa United over Pirates in April, his ability to get teams to play above themselves is well known.

"I don't give that too much credence, this is another day, another game," he said.

Pirates have won their last nine matches against the Durban team.