Old Parks kept top spot in the Rand Central Local Football Association Division Football League with a 3–1 win over Panorama in their home match, despite coach Jean Irie saying the performance did not convince him.

Irie, who coaches the senior team, said the three points were vital, but the display fell below standard. “It wasn’t convincing for me. We could have done better, but they tried their best and we got the win, so we’re all happy,” he said.

He stressed that his complaint was about the way the team played, not the score. He pointed to inaccurate passing, off-target shooting and an inability to break the opposition line. “We couldn’t play the way we usually play, actually. I think they were under pressure because we were sitting on top of the league.”

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Irie said being top brings pressure to stay there rather than drop, meaning the burden is on his team rather than their pursuers, agreeing he would prefer to be the hunter rather than the hunted.

Old Parks will return to training on Wednesday and Thursday. “Moving to the next game, we would like to improve more on our finishing,” Irie said, adding that they will fix all their mistakes.

Panorama coach Thulani Mbumba, who leads the club’s third senior team in division 2, had no complaints about his players, despite the defeat. “Look, today they played for me, to be quite honest with you,” he said, noting that his team had earlier handed the previous league leaders their first defeat and that most goals conceded came against the run of play.

Mbumba admitted that he usually shouts at his players after a defeat, but said this time was different because they played well. He explained that his squad is young, and that the top teams pick first, leaving him with leftover U17 players. “I only work with what is left over from the U17s, from all the teams that are around Panorama because we’re actually quite big and we’ve got too many players.”

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Among the players that impressed impressed him was a 17-year-old playing at number 10 in midfield. He also fielded his 25-year-old assistant coach at centre-back, as his only older player, to help guide the team.

He wants his players to enjoy their football and never leave with a sad face, noting that despite a difficult previous season, they are enjoying themselves this year. Panorama sit fifth in the league, with Mbumba believing they can fight for second or third position, while also chasing a cup semi-final place with a match due at the end of the month.

Next week, they face a team they have beaten before, but Mbumba warned against complacency. “I don’t want to say it’s going to be an easy game because I always tell these boys, let’s take one game at a time. Let us not underestimate because this is football.”

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