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Baxter blames fixture congestion for boring Celtic draw

Johannesburg - SuperSport United coach Stuart Baxter blamed fixture congestion for a boring 0-0 South African Premiership draw against Bloemfontein Celtic in Pretoria Wednesday.

While relegation-threatened Celtic were happy to leave Lucas "Masterpieces" Moripe Stadium with a point, more was expected from fifth-place SuperSport.

It was the first of eight domestic and African fixtures within 25 days for United and England-born Baxter said he had to change his team regularly.

"The heavy fixture schedule forces me to rotate players and this results in a loss of fluidity and consistency," he admitted after a game of few chances.

"We create team structures in the hope that whoever fills a particular position will do the job, but it does not always work out that way."

Baxter said he had two choices after the draw -- blame cautious Celtic for "parking the bus" or look at the shortcomings of his side.

"I have opted for the latter approach," he said. "We stopped playing at times and allowed the game to degenerate into aimless back-and-forward play."

Even the introduction of New Zealander Jeremy Brockie into the SuperSport attack on the hour did not have the desired effect.

Despite the dropped points, SuperSport look set to end fifth while Celtic are four points above the drop zone with four rounds remaining.

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