Kwa-Thema – Jealous Down FC and Joburg South Sports Academy went head-to-head at the SAFA Ekurhuleni Hollywoodbets Regional League on May 9.

Jealous Down FC coach Richard Makhubo reflected on his side’s 4-1 victory, praising the team’s first-half dominance and overall effort despite missed opportunities.

“The team was dominant in the first half; we always managed to find spaces to play the next pass.

“My team was able to break the opponent’s defensive line, although one of my players missed a golden and the other missed a one-on-one opportunity to produce goals.

“We scored 13 previously against this team, so we wanted more goals, but they also made some improvements,” explained Makhubo.

“We were happy with the 2-0 first-half score.”

Speaking about the halftime adjustments, Makhubo said the focus was on controlling the midfield and maintaining possession.

“The midfielders needed to gain more control and build from the back with no rush because we were already leading 2-0.

“We needed to consolidate possession and more opportunities would come as the opposition weighed down,” he said.

He added that the opposition’s pressing system created opportunities for his side. Makhubo added that the opposition pressed with three attackers, which allowed his players more freedom.

He admitted his side made costly mistakes in the second half, leading to the opposition’s goal.

“A loose back pass, one of my players who then opted to receive and control the ball instead of rotating it, gifted the opposition a goal,” he added.

Jealous Down went on to score two more goals in the second half, including a penalty, sealing a convincing 4-1 win.

Despite the victory, Makhubo believes his side must improve their finishing.

“Our ability to score needs to improve. We created chances almost every five minutes, but wasted most of the opportunities.

“It has been a trend throughout the season,” he cited.

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He said the technical team will work on the issue during training.

“These issues will be addressed during training sessions with more functional drills specifically focusing on shooting.

“But the limited resources our football club has access to in terms of equipment sometimes contribute to such factors, making sessions less effective,” he mentioned.

Makhubo, however, praised his youthful squad for their determination throughout the campaign.

“It was a good game. We boast the youngest team in the league, and we are the only team to have beaten log leaders Highlands Park.

“We also have a good record against the top five teams in our stream. This is one of those games where you feel the boys gave it their all,” he concluded.