Cape Town - Orlando Pirates head coach Milutin Sredojevic believes his side need to defend better as a unit following his team's 4-2 win over Chippa United on Tuesday.

Pirates were unconvincing at times at the back with Happy Jele and goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane guilty of making some key errors which allowed Tebogo Tlolane to score, whereas Innocent Maela hit an own goal.

Meanwhile, Bucs' four goals came from Jele, Phetso Maphanga (OG), Vincent Pule and Kudakwashe Mahachi.

Sredojevic told SuperSport TV: "We have played against a very good team and matches of this magnitude are always the hardest because you can underestimate and then get served something different on the field of play.

"We started very well. Then allowing that combination play through the centres to concede that goal. Luckily our second goal came when their player wanted to head the ball to his goalkeeper. At half-time, we agreed that we wanted to defend not by sitting back but by possessing the ball.

"However, it was going in a direction where we got that penalty leading to 3-1 and then from 3-1 wishing to kill off the game and then we concede a goal once more and then water was coming to the mouth.

"We were putting two players inside Kuda Mahachi and Shonga and Kuda killed the game by scoring that fourth goal. Much better result and performance. We need critically to look at the defensive part and look to improve that fragility in defending. We want to have an iron defence, we want to have a creative build-up."

The Sea Robbers are next in action on Saturday when they face Zimbabwe's FC Platinum in a CAF Champions League Group B tie in Bulawayo.

Kick-off is at 15:00.