Tinkler: Weight of our pass wasn’t great
CAPE Town City coach Eric Tinkler was left frustrated after his team were held to a 0-0 draw by perennial strugglers Chippa United in a Premiership clash at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Had City won the game, they would have leapfrogged Royal AM into second place and been in line to qualify for next season’s Caf Champions League.
However, City were handed a favour by Maritzburg United, who upset Royal AM 1-0.
That result means that John Maduka’s side remain only above City on goal difference.
“I am disappointed with the draw. We knew it would be a tough match because of the way they play.
“They always use nine players behind the ball and (Bienvenu) Eva Nga upfront. (City goalkeeper) Hugo Marques had to make two good saves in the first half.
“For the rest of the game, we were camping in their half,” said Tinkler.
City had a golden opportunity to win the game late in the second half as they were awarded a penalty, which was missed by Mduduzi Mdantsane.
They tried to change their strategy in the second half, but were left frustrated by the low-block strategy used by Chippa.
There is no doubt that Chippa will be happier with the outcome of the game.
The result leaves them four points clear of the relegation zone.
“We looked to make adjustments during halftime, because they had to come out of their own half,” Tinkler said.
“We couldn’t play the final pass and make that right decision.
“The weight of our pass wasn’t great.
“We didn’t get into the right spaces, which we could turn and have a shot at goal.
“With the little chances we got, we couldn’t get to the end of it.”
The result means that City extended their unbeaten run to 11 matches.
However, they will have to certainly improve in the final third going forward if they want to become the first ever team from the Western Cape to play in the Champions League.
Their next game will be a good opportunity for them to get three points as they host a struggling TS Galaxy at Cape Town Stadium tomorrow (7.30pm kickoff).