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Cape Town - Maritzburg United coach Eric Tinkler cut a frustrated figure as his side suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of SuperSport United.
The Team of Choice came into the Absa Premiership clash on a high after surprising Kaizer Chiefs with a 2-1 win in the Telkom Knockout semi-finals on Sunday.
However, they were far from their best against Matsatsantsa on Wednesday and paid the price as their eight-game unbeaten run across all competitions came to an abrupt end.
"We weren't great. It is as simple as that. We were poor today to be brutally honest. We didn't deserve to collect the points. Over the 90 minutes, I don't think we created enough in the final third. I don’t think we played at the right intensity. Three massive points lost at home," said Tinkler, as quoted by IOL.
"I kind of expected it because it has happened before. You see it week in and week out, not only in South Africa but you see it in the Uefa Champions League. Getting the guys in the right frame of mind proved to be very difficult.
"We have to roll up our sleeves and keep going. That's all we can do. We've got to take this one on the chin and, hopefully, it brings everyone back to the ground and we just move on.
"You try and remind them (the players). We have been talking about this since the game ended against Chiefs. I said, there's no time for celebration. We will celebrate when we win the Cup. So, you make them aware, hoping that it will sink in their minds. Whether it has, I can't tell."
United will take on Mamelodi Sundowns in the Telkom Knockout final on December 14.
- TeamTalk Media
