KAIZER Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter sought to temper the disappointment of the end of the club's unbeaten run in the Premier Soccer League by praising his players' performance rather than being concerned about the result.

But he warned that mental strength was now key to going on to win the championship.

"When the guys came back from the break I told them I was not as much interested in results as I was in performance.

"I wasn't happy about our performance against Township Rollers in the Champions League but I was pleased with the performance against SuperSport United. We've played a lot worse than we did on Tuesday and won games."

Chiefs lost for the first time in the league this season, and have seen their 15-point lead at the head of the standings whittled down to just 10.

"The players were gutted, sick to the pit of their stomachs," added Baxter.

"Mental strength becomes very key now. If we don't believe that we can win the championship then it is going to be difficult."

But he refused to be drawn into any parallels with last season when Chiefs also let a large points lead slip and Mamelodi Sundowns caught them to take the title.