Tinkler claims players are not listening to his instructions

Cape Town - Maritzburg United coach Eric Tinkler could not hide his disappointment after watching his team concede a goal in stoppage time to go down 2-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.

After conceding a goal in the first half, the Team of Choice battled back to level the scores, but Lyle Lakay popped up to win the game for Sundowns one minute into time added on.

The Maritzburg mentor explained that he told his players to keep their concentration until the end, but they failed to see the warning signs.

Tinkler told Supersport TV after the game: "That's where our problem lies, we need to listen to the instructions given and we are not listening to the instructions given, because of that we get punished.

"(In) the first half we created one or two situations, (Denis) Onyango had to make one save that I can remember.

"But we got hit on counter-attacks, three, four, five times, from our own corners and throw-ins.

"All that hard work you put in the second half, you let yourself down in the final minute. That's the disappointment.

"Because that's exactly what we discussed at half-time. (The) players need to start listening and learning and stop making the mistakes because they end up being costly.

"I said to players at half-time, you have to show character. In the first half, we looked like we were afraid of them."

- TeamTalk Media