AmaZulu's players have to take more responsibility and be more clinical closing out results, coach Benni McCarthy said after a home 0-0 draw against TS Galaxy left last year's runners-up wallowing in seventh place in the DStv Premiership.
Galaxy continued a mini-revival under coach Sead Ramovic. Three matches on the road have yielded an impressive seven points from nine.
The Mpumalanga outfit followed their 1-0 wins away against Kaizer Chiefs and Swallows FC with Rockets another tight display at Moses Mabhida Stadium, making life hard for AmaZulu as they have moved from a desperate last place to 13th.
McCarthy said Usuthu, coming off a 1-0 Caf Champions League win against Guinea's Horoya on Friday night by notching a 13th league draw of the season, made life tough for themselves by being unable to capitalise on domination of possession and chances in the opening half.
“It's a simple sum-up. We weren't clinical enough. We started really well and I think dominated the game, making the opposition make a lot of mistakes,” the coach said afterwards.
“Intercepting the high press worked really well. But lack of conviction was the biggest problem.
“When you don't convert the chances it becomes extremely hard. That contributed to us not winning the match.
“When you don't take those chances you give the opposition a chance to come back into the game and then you start becoming sloppy.
“And we made one or two crucial mistakes allowing them one-on-one with the keeper. Luckily the quality of finishing in this game wasn't up to standard so they also missed a few golden chances.
“Ja, 13th draw, not pleasant, not ideal, not what I would want. Especially after winning in the Caf on Friday. A win in this game would have put us nicely in third place one point behind Orlando Pirates.
“Now you've played 21 games and you're just four points clear of everyone else [in the bottom]. And if other teams play catch-up, and win one or two games in hand then they catch us and then we're getting dragged into that dogfight down there, and in the middle.
“I think the players have to take more responsibility. When you go onto the field you have to be clinical. You can't let opportunities like this slip.
“And we let a big one slip tonight because this was a game where we could probably easily have gotten three points more than any other game.
“It was not to be, and now we can focus on Friday for the Champions League.”
Usuthu host Tunisia's ES Sétif in their third Champions League Group B match at Moses Mabhida on Friday night.
Galaxy have some time to prepare for their league meeting with runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns at Mbombela Stadium on March 2.
Benni says players must take more responsibility after AmaZulu notch 13th draw
Image: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
AmaZulu's players have to take more responsibility and be more clinical closing out results, coach Benni McCarthy said after a home 0-0 draw against TS Galaxy left last year's runners-up wallowing in seventh place in the DStv Premiership.
Galaxy continued a mini-revival under coach Sead Ramovic. Three matches on the road have yielded an impressive seven points from nine.
The Mpumalanga outfit followed their 1-0 wins away against Kaizer Chiefs and Swallows FC with Rockets another tight display at Moses Mabhida Stadium, making life hard for AmaZulu as they have moved from a desperate last place to 13th.
McCarthy said Usuthu, coming off a 1-0 Caf Champions League win against Guinea's Horoya on Friday night by notching a 13th league draw of the season, made life tough for themselves by being unable to capitalise on domination of possession and chances in the opening half.
“It's a simple sum-up. We weren't clinical enough. We started really well and I think dominated the game, making the opposition make a lot of mistakes,” the coach said afterwards.
“Intercepting the high press worked really well. But lack of conviction was the biggest problem.
“When you don't convert the chances it becomes extremely hard. That contributed to us not winning the match.
“When you don't take those chances you give the opposition a chance to come back into the game and then you start becoming sloppy.
“And we made one or two crucial mistakes allowing them one-on-one with the keeper. Luckily the quality of finishing in this game wasn't up to standard so they also missed a few golden chances.
“Ja, 13th draw, not pleasant, not ideal, not what I would want. Especially after winning in the Caf on Friday. A win in this game would have put us nicely in third place one point behind Orlando Pirates.
“Now you've played 21 games and you're just four points clear of everyone else [in the bottom]. And if other teams play catch-up, and win one or two games in hand then they catch us and then we're getting dragged into that dogfight down there, and in the middle.
“I think the players have to take more responsibility. When you go onto the field you have to be clinical. You can't let opportunities like this slip.
“And we let a big one slip tonight because this was a game where we could probably easily have gotten three points more than any other game.
“It was not to be, and now we can focus on Friday for the Champions League.”
Usuthu host Tunisia's ES Sétif in their third Champions League Group B match at Moses Mabhida on Friday night.
Galaxy have some time to prepare for their league meeting with runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns at Mbombela Stadium on March 2.
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