Larsen master-minded a 2-1 win over Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup last 32 clash on Saturday afternoon.
It was the former Golden Arrows coach’ second win at the Port Elizabeth outfit in as many games since he took over from Joel Masutha.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game and it was. Credit must go to Sundowns, they made changes to their team but you could see their true quality. We had moments where were had our backs against the wall. But I thought defensively we showed a lot of tenacity and strong will power,” Larsen told SuperSport TV.
“We could have got a few more goals, they could have got one or two more as well. But it was a great cup encounter for everyone to enjoy. I’m just happy for everyone at the club, just to get that winning feeling back. It’s been a long time since the club felt this way. The people of PE and East London can now walk with some pride. I hope this is a story of good things to come.
“We know where our bread and butter lies but we would like to go as far as we can in the cup as well.”
Larsen went on to explain his double substitution in the last 30 minutes of the game, and also reserved praise for Man of the Match Tercious Malepe.
“We knew they were going to push for the winner, they don’t want to go to extra time and they were pushing. And with Mark’s ability with running with the ball and Ruzaigh’s pace we thought we would catch them [on the counter-attack] and it came out that way. We had three very good chances. It’s good when these tactics work out. But credit must go to the players, they trained well for the last two weeks and we’re seeing them reap the rewards.
“Tercious Malepe is growing in confidence. Very underrated player in my opinion, we’re still going to see the best of him. But it’s all about the collective. We’re a work in progress, we’ll get there,” he said.