Bandovic: “JDT were better, and they deserve the win”

Port FC head coach Bozidar Bandovic admitted his side were second best on the night. He pointed to a punishing schedule and a growing injury list as the reasons for the defeat to Johor Darul Ta'zim FC (JDT) 3-0, in the ACL Elite.

Speaking after the match, Bandovic was quick to credit the winners. “I need to congratulate the opponent. They were better on the field. In the first half they dominated,” he said.

Port struggled to contain JDT early on, with the hosts creating chances from crosses and long-range efforts. Port hit back with a few counterattacks. They started the second half more brightly, but they then conceded from a cross and a shot from outside the box. They were also helped by a post at one stage. A second goal on the transition and then a third made the task much harder.

“We changed some things, and in the last 25 minutes we used the ball a little more and were more confident,” Bandovic said.

The coach said the squad had little time to recover, with Port playing just two days after their previous match in Thailand.

He took a cautious approach to a number of players. [Teerasak Phoeiphimai] was left out after feeling a problem following the last game. [Jakkapan Kaewprom] managed only 30 minutes. [Lucas] came off the bench having just returned from injury.

“The medical staff told me it was too risky because we have very important games coming up,” Bandovic explained. “Two days is not enough to prepare and to recover.”

“It needs time”

Asked whether anything could be fixed quickly, Bandovic said the team’s ability to repeat sprints and recover during the opening and closing 10 minutes needed longer-term work. That is difficult with matches every three days.

“We cannot improve that at this moment. This needs time, this needs preparation,” he said. “It’s always helpful to have an extra day, but we play every three days. We need to rotate, and that’s the small problem we have right now.”

On his team selection, Bandovic said he had no regrets, though he promised changes. “I need to protect some players, so yes, I will make some small rotation. We learn, it’s not regret. If we had scored the first goal, maybe it would have been different.”

He praised the effort of his players. “They give everything, but building character takes time.”

Credit Photo : Jayden Seah/SNE-Photo