“You get punished”: Parker Gets Honest About The ‘Lack Of Concentration’
Bernard Parker, interim coach of TS Galaxy, has admitted that missed chances and defensive lapses cost his side in the Nedbank Cup final, as they failed to build on a strong first-half performance at New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Rockets started brightly and controlled the early stages, heading into halftime with a 1-0 lead as they chased a second Nedbank Cup title to add to their memorable 2019 triumph over Kaizer Chiefs—a victory achieved while they were still competing in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, with Parker then a Chiefs player.
However, Durban City FC mounted a second-half comeback to win 2–1, punishing Galaxy for key lapses in concentration.
Reflecting on the defeat, Parker dismissed external factors and instead pointed to a lack of focus and missed opportunities as the decisive factors.
“I wouldn’t blame the pitch because both teams trained here a day before the final to get a feel for it,” he said.
“The players were aware of the pitch and the weather conditions, which were the same as on Friday. I wouldn’t blame the pitch—matches are decided by concentration.
“In football, we see it every week: any lapse in concentration and you get punished. The opposition took their chances when we lost focus.
“They also had moments of poor concentration, but we didn’t capitalise. We had some excellent combination play in the first half, and Victor Letsoalo could have scored with a header, but those are moments you can’t coach.
“The good thing about football is that there is always the next game. Perhaps next year we will be back in the Nedbank Cup and perform well again.”
The 40-year-old coach also highlighted ongoing defensive concerns, an issue that dates back to the previous regime under former coach Adnan Beganovic, who played a key role in guiding the club to the final.
“During the previous league run, we conceded too many goals—even in draws, like the one against Stellies,” he added.
“When I came in, I had to ensure we addressed that by being more proactive and aggressive defensively. I think we’ve improved in understanding the players, but there is still work to do.
“Last week we drew 0–0 against Magesi FC, and coming into this match against Durban City, I felt we were building towards keeping clean sheets. If we had kept one in this final, we might be telling a different story because we had already scored.
“It’s something my technical team and I need to fix, but you can’t solve these issues overnight. The positive is that the team has responded well in trying to improve the defensive structure and apply the right principles.”
Galaxy will now turn their attention back to league action, where they face Marumo Gallants in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday at Dr Molemela Stadium, as they look to return to winning ways.
