Publications
Partners
Pretoria - Maritzburg United coach Steve Komphela was pleasantly surprised by his team's performance where the visitors handed SuperSport United a 4-1 drubbing in their Premiership encounter on Wednesday night.
"I would have never imagined we would get this score-line. I would have bet R100 000 that there was no way before the match," Komphela said.
Maritzburg ended Matsatsantsa's winning run of four out of four since former Gordon Igesund had been in charge.
Komphela said his team was fortunate to have survived a first-half onslaught by the home side but attributed the turnaround to his team's sharpness in front of goal.
"We survived a scare to open the match. They were coming at us from all angles," he said.
"But we are one of the highest scoring teams in the league. We have been working a lot on final-third entries and finishing. If teams park the bus we must find a way of penetrating regardless."
The visitors were under siege for much of the first half as the free scoring SuperSport looked to extend their winning streak.
However, Maritzburg dealt the opposition a sucker punch just before the break when Terrence Mandaza scored against the run of play in the 42nd minute.
SuperSport came back in the second half to equalise with a Lebogang Manyama goal in the 55th minute.
With SuperSport left exposed in search of another goal, the visitors capitalised scoring three more goals courtesy of Mandaza, Mondli Cele and Mohammed Anas.
Komphela said part of his strategy was to focus on a group of matches at a time.
"In every group of five matches we try to get 10 points.
"Our target is 60 points by the end of the season, which is a championship worthy total."
SuperSport coach Igesund, meanwhile, rued his side's missed chances which could have put the game to rest early.
"We created so many opportunities and we could have been three or four up," Igesund said.
"We came back into the game and scored the equaliser, after that we lost our shape completely."
The former Bafana Bafana coach bemoaned the mistakes made in defence which resulted in the goals conceded.
"This can’t happen at this level. I think the players went on the attack and forgot their defensive duties.
"It was a good wake-up call because our two centre halves got stretched and they were too eager to go and win the game.
"Everything we had been working on in the last few weeks fell apart which was the most disappointing."
