Chippa United players did not cope well with Highlands Park’s aerial tactics in their 2-1 defeat in Tembisa on Saturday, coach Eric Tinkler said.
The defeat was Tinker’s second setback at the helm after losing by the same margin to SuperSport United.
Goals from Highlands Park’s Mothobi Mvala and Lindokuhle Mbatha denied Chippa backto-back wins, after their recent victory against Free State Stars, in the Absa Premiership.
Tinkler said Chippa needed to work on counteracting the aerial style of play that teams may adopt against them in future.
“They [Highlands] are a very physical team. They are a team that works extremely hard both on and off the ball and we needed to match them.
“Aerial play. I thought that was their biggest strength. “They won everything that was in the air.
“They won every aerial battle and every second ball.
“We struggled to deal with that and that is how the first goal came from a long throw,” the coach said.
“The only time they really threatened us was from the long throws, set-pieces and corners.
“But, in open play I don’t think they really hurt us.
“The first 25-30 minutes of the game we were trying to play the same game as them, which is not our game, it does not suit our play.
“We are better when we have the ball on the ground and when we did that we looked threatening.
“We had one situation that potentially could have been a goal. We should have come in at halftime at 1-1, in my opinion, and I think it could have been a different game.”
The coach applauded his players’ fighting spirit and their performance against the “Lions of the North”, even in defeat.
“We were chasing the game and conceded the second goal, but the boys kept fighting and working. We got ourselves back into the game.
“I think we tried to pile on the pressure and change the formation trying to get the equaliser but it didn’t come. It wasn’t our night, nonetheless I am proud of the boys.”
The Chilli Boys’ next league match is against Mamelodi Sundowns at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in East London on October 27.
Meanwhile, coach Pitso Mosimane says Absa Premier League champions Mamelodi Sundowns are always getting the short end of the stick as he bemoaned another refereeing decision he claimed went against his side after their 1-1 draw with table-topping Bidvest Wits in Atteridgeville on Sunday.
According to Mosimane, Wits goalkeeper Darren Keet looked to have handled the ball outside his penalty area towards the end of the game.
Therefore, he thought Keet should have been red-carded‚ after giving away a free-kick to Sundowns in a good position.
But both referee Nasief Julies and assistant Shaun Olive waved play on, to the visible anger of the Sundowns coach.
This followed an incident on Wednesday night in their match against Bloem Celtic, when the referee turned down a goal by Lebogang Maboe, adjudging Themba Zwane to have interfered in an offside position.
Mosimane has been highlighting other incidents too – such as what he termed an offside goal by Cape Town City in the MTN8 semifinal and a penalty appeal turned down in the match against Lamontville Golden Arrows.
“Week in and week out‚ we are getting the short end of the stick‚” he claimed.
“It’s tough times for us and we need a bit of confidence‚ a little bit of a boost, but we are not getting that because it can only happen when you win.
“But we aren’t winning and we can only turn it around by winning. But how do you win when match management is different every week and we are losing points?
“In Europe when an official makes a mistake he comes to the change-room after and says ‘sorry’. It doesn’t bring back the points but they are showing humility.
“In South Africa‚ these guys are protected‚ they don’t say ‘sorry’‚ they are not accountable. We are accountable for the results. What has ever happened?” he said.
“Nothing has happened. It’s a lost cause – you just keep quiet and move on.”
Mosimane did, however, admit that his side struggled at home against a more determined Wits.
“It was a difficult game for us‚ the opponents were a better team today. They made it awkward and we didn’t adjust to the way they played.” – Additional report by Mark Gleeson, TimesLIVE