Darren Keet spares Durban City blushes as Pitso Dladla criticises performance

The loss marked a second successive setback in the Betway Premiership following a loss to log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns just days earlier. 

Despite the narrow scoreline, goalkeeper Darren Keet was called into action repeatedly to keep the margin respectable with Dladla admitting their concentration levels were lacking for much of the contest. 

"I thought we did not have a good first half. The mentality was not good, we did not have the desire, we were just not ourselves in the first half. We tried but it was not happening and the signs were there as Arrows were about to score a goal, we tried to deal with those chances that they were creating, especially caused by us sitting too deep up until they scored the goal,” Dladla said.

“We came back a little bit but not enough. As much as we were not so good we created one or two chances in the first half. There was one ball from Terrence [Mashego] to Samkelo Maseko but the pass was not so accurate. 

“There was also a counterattack between Maseko and Trevor [Mokwena] who did not make the right decision. It's the first half that we wanted to forget." 

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The coach added that the second half was a slight improvement but still nowhere near the level that City have become accustomed to. 

"During halftime we spoke to say let us try to impose ourselves. Let us try not to be too emotional because I think in the first half we were too emotional, you know how derby games are. Then we started playing the ball, we started overloading the sides,” the coach added.

“We started to be calmer from the midfield. I think we were not taking the right decisions, we were not imposed or had cool heads in the last third. Sometimes we were rushing things but it looked like we were gonna score a goal but it was not meant to be. 

“It's a game really that we are not impressed, we are disappointed with ourselves but that's how football is, we'll regroup and do better. We need to regroup and do our corrections quicker."