Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter is pleased with his side’s performance but feels it wasn’t good enough to knock Stellenbosch FC off their perch.

The Soweto giants’ four-game unbeaten run ended after they were edged 1-0 by unbeaten side Stellies at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

As a result, Stellenbosch have moved level on 19 points with log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, while Amakhosi are placed seventh in the DStv Premiership standings with 12 points after nine games.

“It was a really close game, I think it ebbed and flowed a little bit. I think we opened very well, I think we got the first 15 minutes that we wanted,” Baxter told SuperSport TV after the game.

“Our combination around the box was quite good, our movement quite good, they break away and that’s obviously what they were looking for, a low block and breakout into the quick players.

“They broke away, only made a couple run-ins that gave them a little hope, I think, and for 30 minutes we lost our way, we were really not co-ordinated in the pressing.

“We stopped looking for balls in between, we started playing safe and the 30 minutes, including their goal, we were not really good. Then we came back from the second half, we upped it a little bit but we’re chasing the game a little bit,” he added.

“So, they have the luxury of sitting deep all the time and launching balls if they want to, just clearing the pressure. So we just didn’t have the focus and the quality in the second half that was gonna open them up.

“We had a couple of chances, a couple of good set plays that we didn’t convert, very close but, all in all, it wasn’t a great performance from us. It wasn’t a bad performance but certainly not one those you gonna knock Stellenbosch off their perch when they’ve been undefeated,” he continued.

“They were playing deep, you have to give your opponent some credit, haven’t you? They’re playing with a deep five and supporting with three in front, so space around the box was at a premium.

“We did open them up a couple of times but we didn’t make good decisions with the ball, when we had really good opportunities. I mean, I could remember one later when we took a shot, I think Bernard was through and another ball wide to a player, it’s a one on one.

“It was the same on the other side, I think Keagan [Dolly] was on the ball and another one to Njabulo Blom, we’re one on one. We didn’t make great decisions and when you don’t make great decisions, you don’t play with the quality that you need, then you’re not gonna break such a compact defence down.”