Inexperience costs Maritzburg
THE disappointment of last weekend’s MTN8 semi-final defeat to Supersport United will be brushed off and Maritzburg United will hope to bounce back stronger from the setback.
The Midlands club were expected to make the most of home ground advantage, and the bonus of an away goal from the first leg 1-1 draw in Pretoria, to reach their first cup final.
Instead they succumbed to a first half headed double by Supersport’s New Zealand forward Jeremy Brockie and bowed out of the season-opening tournament 3-1 on aggregate.
Coach Fadlu Davids accepted the defeat and said his young team would grow stronger from the experience. “On the one hand it was disappointing but on the other hand they were the better side.
“They deserved to win; they used their experience. Perhaps the experience (of a cup semifinal) was a little bit too big for four or five players.
“We’ve got to learn. It’s a lesson for our younger players to take from the occasion and learn from it, so that when we are faced with another situation like this we can handle it better,” said Davids, who at 36 years is the youngest coach in the PSL.
The former Manning Rangers striker is also in charge of a team on a permanent basis for the first time, having previously taken control in an interim capacity over the past two seasons.
“We should have scored with one or two chances but they won the ball and we got caught on a counter-attack. Our counter control layers had to be a lot better.
“The goal that finished the game was just before half-time - we’ve got to be more switched on in those final critical moments to not concede a goal.
“Overall it’s about the occasion and the experience. Supersport’s average age is above 27 perhaps. They have been in such situations and they know how to handle it, and they know what is expected in certain situations.
“It is a learning curve that will help the players. The experience will teach them to be able to handle such situations in a much more professional and better way,” Davids added.
Maritzburg’s next home outing is on Friday when they welcome Orlando Pirates to Harry Gwala Stadium for an 8pm kick-off. Davids will miss the experience of Kenyan international central defender Brian Onyango who is out with a hamstring strain sustained last week while on international duty.