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Consistency is key to win the league, says Coach Micho

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Consistency throughout the season, win your home matches is one of the lessons Orlando Pirates is taking from this 2018/2019 season after failing to win the Absa Premiership league title.

Despite beating Polokwane City 3-0 in the final league game at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, Pirates still failed to win the league title, finishing second again to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Bucs played a total of seven draws at home, this is not a good record for a title contender. Head coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic who is in his second season at the club reflects on the season coming to an end.

This was one of the most tightly contested league title races we’ve seen in recent years, that it had to be decided on the last day spoke volumes about the 2018/2019 season.

Sundowns were only separated by one win, one draw with Pirates with the losses equal and Bucs having a superior goal difference.

The Brazilians on 59 points and Pirates on 57 points is what mattered most and Sredojevic says they’ve learnt their lesson.

For the second consecutive year, Pirates has finished second on the log but with a better points margin this time around and having pushed the champions.

But Sundowns had two CAF Champions League campaigns in one PSL season and went all the way to the semi-finals, playing over 53 matches in all competitions. Sredojevic has congratulated Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane on his record equaling fourth league title.

It was always going to take something special for Pirates to wrestle this league title away from Sundowns and the technical team will look back at the 2-all away draw to Cape Town City as the game where they threw it away.

As they will attempt to go for it again next season, the Serbian born coach has more on what will it take to rise above these fine margins to end Sundowns’ dominance.

With the season coming to an end this weekend after the Nedbank Cup final, the focus now shifts to the PSL end of the season awards in Durban on Sunday.

The nominees were announced today and Thembinkosi Lorch has been nominated in three different categories.

Lorch has been outstanding this season and Sredojevic says he’s easily the Pirates player of the season.

Having played a total of 40 matches in all competitions this season, Lorch has scored 15 (nine in the league) goals and provided five assists.

He’s also headed to the AFCON tournament in Egypt with Bafana Bafana. Lorch reflects on his season.

Lorch has been nominated for the PSL Footballer of the season award, Absa Premiership Players’ player of the season and the Absa Prem midfielder of the season.

 – Report by Velile Mnyandu

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