SuperSport happy to ‘steal’ three points

SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 18: Sifiso Myeni of Pirates and Lebogang Manyama of SuperSport during the Absa Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United at Orlando Stadium ay January 18, 2014 in Soweto, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 18: Sifiso Myeni of Pirates and Lebogang Manyama of SuperSport during the Absa Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United at Orlando Stadium ay January 18, 2014 in Soweto, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

Published Jan 18, 2014

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Johannesburg – SuperSport United's coach Cavin Johnson says his team's 2-1 victory over Orlando Pirates in Johannesburg on Saturday was not entirely deserved after his team failed to stick to their game plan.

“What a steal, what a steal,” Johnson said at Orlando Stadium after hosts Pirates had dominated the match but failed to capitalise on their many chances.

“We came here and didn’t play the way we had planned. We sat too deep, the substitutions we made delivered the goals and Pirates were on the backfoot.

“With due respect to Pirates, they tried to break us but they just couldn’t get past the defence.

“We stole the points from Pirates but we are happy and now it’s back to the drawing board and I hope we will play better in our next game.”

Johnson expressed his disappointment at the state of the pitch, which looked a little battered and uneven.

“The pitch for me is in a very bad condition,” he said.

“Especially the north or south – I don’t know what side it is – but it is completely terrible. The rest of the pitch is also not in a good condition.”

Pirates coach Roger de Sa rued his side’s missed chances and praised SuperSport for making the most of their limited opportunities.

“They took their chances, which were just two, and we didn’t takes ours Ä ten of them,” De Sa said.

“We controlled the game with so many chances and the first ball that gets knocked in our area goes into the back of the net.

“It was poor defending and I warned them about being caught with a sucker punch.”

He described United’s striker Mame Niang, who scored the opening goal from a Sibusiso Khumalo cross, as a problem. They had made plans to counter his attack but failed to execute those plans on the day.

“When Mame Niang came in, it was always going to be a danger and we had prepared for it but we didn’t follow the plan,” he said.

United's second goal was scored by debutant Dino Ndlovu while Happy Jele pulled one back for Pirates with only a few seconds left on the clock. – Sapa

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