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Johannesburg - SuperSport United coach Cavin Johnson says his team failed to capitalise on other results from this weekend’s Premiership action, after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bloemfontein Celtic on Sunday.
Heading into Sunday’s encounter, United could have gone a point clear of Moroka Swallows and two points clear of Mamelodi Sundowns, who suffered a shock defeat to Polokwane City on Saturday.
Swallows had leapt to the top of the table on Friday, after defeating Platinum Stars 2-0.
But the Pretoria outfit had to settle for one point - level on points with Swallows but ahead on goal difference - after Musa Nyatama had put Celtic ahead in the first half. Mame Niang scored a late penalty to draw level and leave the teams with a share of the points.
“We’ve lost two points. Hopefully we are able to maintain [form] but also get better in order to bag the points at home,” Johnson said after the game at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.
“To lose two points is always not good, especially at home. When you analyse what the other teams did and you analyse what we had to do today (Sunday), it was in our hands to get all three points."
Johnson conceded his side had allowed Celtic to dominate aspects of the game, controlling the tempo, while the hosts failed to capitalise on playing in front of their own supporters.
“You have to be more clinical, be more lethal and more hungry to get a win on your home ground,” Johnson said.
“We should be more aggressive at home and be more assertive in the way we play.”
Newly-appointed Celtic boss Ernst Middendorp, meanwhile, admitted the right call was made to award the penalty to United late in the game, after his defender Keagan Buchanan brought down Bradley Grobler with a clumsy tackle.
“It was a penalty. I have to blame my players,” Middendorp said.
“We were talking this week as we had this same problem against Swallows (in their previous game).
“We were looking in to this. We prepared ourselves and we wanted to be an intelligent defence.”
Middendorp - who joined from Maritzburg United earlier this month and is unbeaten in two games with Celtic - said he was pleased with the structures in place at the club and was looking forward to improving as the season progressed.
“It’s about making progress. We must realise it’s was not the club that fired the coach [Clinton Larsen].
“The club was definitely behind him. There was a very clear structure behind him.
“It’s the same players. Obviously I organise the formation. We haven’t really changed too many [players].”
