Cape Town Spurs coach Ernst Middendorp believes Mamelodi Sundowns should not have been given a penalty in the first-half at Athlone Stadium.

The Urban Warriors were forced to endure a 1-0 defeat in their DStv Premiership clash against Sundowns on Tuesday evening.

The defeat sees Spurs remain at the foot of the table with 12 points from 23 matches, while Sundowns go 13-points clear at the summit of the league standings with 52 points after 20 matches.

Sundowns secured the victory after Lucas Ribeiro Costa slotted the ball home from the spot-kick, but Middendorp disagrees that it should have been a penalty.

“Ja I’m quite sure the foul was outside (the box), I don’t think you have to give a penalty but I have to watch it again. I just don’t want to waste my energy anymore, they made the decision at half-time, let’s just leave it, we have no influence,” Middendorp told SuperSport TV after the game.

“Before the game, our experience in the last two matches… We had the possibility to score. In the first-half I think Ashley (Cupido) had a good possibility, in the second-half he had an opportunity, crossbar.

“I think over 90 minutes implementing a new setup, totally new. We’ve trained it for only two days, different. We’ve played three defence line before, very narrow, they had the understanding, I think it worked out very well, despite of course a certain dominance in the first-half,” he said.

“You can’t deny, it’s normal you’re playing Sundowns, you have to give them these moments but I think good reaction during the second-half. Ja, good, it’s definitely something where we can move on.

“A game like this today is not about to reduce the distance to position 15, not a game against Sundowns, we have to be focused, concentrated, put a shift, leave out individual mistakes.

“I think everybody knows, before the penalty, it could have been done differently, of course we’ll have a look at it and let’s see. I think seven matches to go, of course five points to the position we’re targeting but there’s still a chance.”

Spurs will be looking to bounce back when they take on Sekhukhune United in their next DStv Premiership clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, April 20, with kick-off set for 5pm.

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