COACH ERNST ACCEPTS SWALLOWS POINT
29 April 2021
While there was a feeling that Maritzburg United could have come away with more, head coach Ernst Middendorp was not entirely dissatisfied with the 1-1 draw against Swallows FC at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Friday night.
Travis Graham had given the Team of Choice a 49th minute lead, only for the Birds to equalise on the hour mark through Sifiso Hlanti.
Coach Ernst felt his side should have capitalised on some of their other opportunities, and also thought they could have done better with the goal conceded.
"We produced a number of chances in the first and second halves. Not a huge number, but two per half. If you can do this, you have to take them," he said.
"Not only with one goal, a second goal. If you are making a mistake in defence, you are not tracking a player adequately, of course you concede.
"It was a very tactical game, from our side we were aware about it. In the end, Swallows is a team in the top four.
"I think we found the right concept to challenge them. I'm not unhappy, I know it would be a very close game and in the end we got our point, the minimum. We have a point in our fight to stay in the league."
Maritzburg now turn our attention to the game against defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday in Pretoria.
"It will be similar, we will have to figure out what is possible. We have to be very focussed and very concentrated," coach Ernst said of the showdown with Masandawana.
"Which we have been in the second half of the season," he continued. "We've played now I think 10 games in the second half of the season and lost only one.
"But this is what we have to produce to stay in the league. We will fight and do everything to prepare ourselves properly for this game.
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