Milutin Sredojevic has come up with a plan to improve Orlando Pirates’ woeful finishing‚ but says it is a work in progress.

Fourth-placed Pirates meet AmaZulu at Orlando Stadium on Saturday night‚ needing to convert a far too high ratio of draws into wins to mount a more serious challenge in the Absa Premiership.

Bucs have seven draws from 13 matches‚ including a goalless stalemate against SuperSport United at Orlando on Tuesday night.

SuperSport pressed Pirates high and ran them ragged in the first half but could not score.

Bucs recovered to create some good chances of their own in the second half‚ but also could not score in a game of missed opportunities in front of goal.

Sredojevic said afterwards that Pirates have been working on a plan to improve in front of goal‚ which involves taking two touches attacking the ball at the correct angle.

“It was a game of two halves. SuperSport planned for us‚ they surprised us‚” Sredojevic said of the first-half onslaught his team weathered against the Pretoria team.

“They were putting high pressure. We had two answers – pulling the centrebacks and the fullbacks out to play.

“But we lost so many balls unnecessarily‚ making turnovers and allowing a very experienced team‚ who I need to remind you played at least 20 international games in the Caf Confederation Cup this year‚ and a team with match fitness and competitive mileage in their legs playing across Africa.

“At half time we corrected these and in the second half we looked to keep the ball more at our feet‚ to go forward.

“We succeeded in these. However it is something where in training and there is no competitive edge‚ and things are not important‚ that things look much easier.

“And training can sometimes fool any one of us technically. Because we are having a problem of one-touch finishing in the country.

“If one-touch is a problem then let us use the first touch to put the ball in an angle and the second to put it into the net.

“This was the accepted situation that was supposed to happen on three or four occasions in the second half.

“It is something that we really need to work on.”

AmaZulu have performed relatively well for a team promoted to the PSL via buying the franchise of Thanda Royal Zulu‚ which can often be a mode of reaching the top-flight fraught with peril.

Under Cavin Johnson Usuthu have pulled off some big results‚ though understandably battled for consistency to sit in 12th place with three wins and five draws from 11 games.

PSL fixtures this weekend 

Friday:

Maritzburg United v Baroka FC (Harry Gwala Stadium‚ 8pm)

Saturday:

Polokwane City v Bidvest Wits (Old Peter Mokaba Stadium‚ 3.30pm)

SuperSport United v Cape Town City (Mbombela Stadium‚ 3.30pm)

Platinum Stars v Kaizer Chiefs (Royal Bafokeng Stadium‚ 6pm)

Orlando Pirates v AmaZulu (Orlando Stadium‚ 8.15pm)

Ajax Cape Town v Chippa United (Bidvest Stadium‚ 8.15pm)

Sunday:

Lamontville Golden Arrows v Mamelodi Sundowns (Princess Magogo Stadium‚ 3.30pm)

Bloemfontein Celtic v Free State Stars (Dr Molemela Stadium‚ 3.30pm)