Eric Tinkler on bouncing back after crushing Stellies defeat

The Citizens were able to bounce back by beating Matsatsantsa 1-0 in the Betway Premiership at Athlone Stadium, the venue where they were crushed by Stellies.

READ: Striker crisis haunts SuperSport United yet again

Tinkler admitted there was some anxiety ahead of facing SuperSport.

 ''I've got to be truthful, obviously the results against the Stellies weren't the greatest of results which put a lot of pressure on us as a technical team and the players. 

To try and get a response out of the players three days later was not going to be an easy task. But I was really happy at the end of the match, the players showed me what I wanted to see, which I didn't see. Especially after we went 2-0 down against Stellies, it was almost like we didn't care but today I saw a squad that cared and showed up, and they have done that under immense pressure,'' said Tinkler.

City’s winning goal came from Namibian international Prins Tjiueza, and Tinkler felt none of his players put a foot wrong this time around.

''The result was more important than the performance but I think the performance today was very good, and I think over the 90 minutes we probably deserved to win this match, we could have won it, probably a little more comfortably than we did. There were good moments that showed the quality we have. We showed control, we created opportunities and defensively we were a lot more structured. It is difficult for me to point out a player that didn't perform well today,'' added Tinkler.

Ahead of a long layoff because there are no midweek fixtures and then soon after the FIFA break, the City mentor added that his side could not go into the recess on the back of yet another defeat.

''That was something that was obviously on my mind, that you go into this game and go into that game and you lose this game, and then sit for four weeks. And trying to fix players with a negative mindset but it doesn't take away the fact that there's a lot we still need to fix. But at least we can now do that knowing that we got ourselves that first home win, which was very important. Now we have to build on it, because games will come in thick and fast, this league is not easy. To be able to do it like this, is preferable,'' he expressed.

Tinkler ended off by singling out 18-year-old attacking midfielder Gabriel Amato for praise.