Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker showered praise on his players after their MTN8 exit on Sunday afternoon.
Stellies beat Pirates 1-0 in the MTN8 semi-final second-leg after an own goal by Zakhele Lapasa in the first stanza but they were knocked out on away goals' rule after a 2-2 draw on aggregate (Stellenbosch lost the first-leg 2-1).
Barker says he is conflicted on what to feel about the result but praised his team for beating the Soweto giants amid transfers, suspensions and injuries that handicapped them this week.
"Ja, obviously mixed emotions, you win a game but you don't advance to the final so again I've got to be really proud of what we've done today, we've had a tough week," Barker told SuperSport TV.
"Coming into the game, suspensions, transfers, injuries but ja it does give opportunities to others and a lot of them stood up today and really fought.
"And ja maybe a little bit unlucky we could have got more out of the game but ja I'm just really proud of the effort that was put in today," he said.
Since going ahead midway through the first stanza, making it 2-2 on aggregate, the Cape Winelands outfit remained in the game and had a chance of progressing up until the final whistle.
The experienced tactician went on and said that it gives him the greatest pleasure to see his players giving their all and that not many believed that they could take the game to the wire the way they did.
"As a coach that's one of the nicest feelings when your players go out there and they put their heart out there and work as hard as they can," Barker said.
"One could have easily thought we had no chance, come here and not be up for it, so the way we pressed, the way we played as a unit, I thought more especially first-half, ball retention was really good.
"We moved them around. We had a good balance between keeping the ball and a couple in behind which we were a little bit unlucky, first-half we had one or two half chances. But I thought as long as we stayed in the game, the more pressure will be on them," he continued.
"But ja, we changed a lot of players you know, a couple of injuries, a couple of sore legs, we had to bring on fresh legs but ja credit to the team, a wonderful performance, a good win.
"We played Pirates three times now already, beaten them twice, we only conceded 94th minute goal with ten men majority of the game (in the first-leg), so ja well done to the lads," he concluded.
