A major talking point was the state of the pitch at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium, with a spongy and uneven playing surface making it very tricky for both teams.
On the balance of play, it was certainly the Team of Choice who looked more likely to claim victory, and they came very close on several occasions, including an effort by Daylon Claaasen which missed by inches, and a second half header from Gabriel Nyoni which struck the upright.
But at the end of an energy sapping evening and a tough week which had seen three matches in eight days, coach Eric was relatively satisfied with the outcome and the performance.
"I think we commanded the game, very well, probably from the first whistle," he said. "Yes, Chippa had a lot of possession in the first 20 minute period, but it was negative possession in their own half and they couldn't hurt us. Only once or twice they played the long ball over the top, but I thought we dealt with that very well.
"Our transitions were not great, but I can't criticise anybody, because we played on a field that is the longest field in the league - 120 metres long. The grass is just way too long, very heavy, very thick, very uneven, so it would be wrong to criticise the players. Both teams in the second half - you could see cramps developing," the former Bafana Bafana midfielder added.
The Team of Choice tactician was especially pleased with his side's defensive efforts, which resulted in the Chilli Boys barely getting a sniff at Bongani Mpandle's goal.
"Overall we commanded the game - we had the best chances and possibly we should have left with more than we got," he said. "I'll take the point, but I think in hindsight, after the game, you say to yourself, ‘it should have been three points’.
"The tactical discipline is important. We let ourselves against SuperSport (a 2-2 draw on Wednesday) because we conceded two cheap goals, and defensively we've been extremely solid this season. But [against Chippa] we were back to our normal and didn't give anything away."
Maritzburg now return home for Friday night's Absa Premiership derby against AmaZulu at the Harry Gwala Stadium.
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