Samartex coach Annor Walker attributed his team’s loss to Asante Kotoko to the excessive respect they showed towards their opponents while playing at home.
The match, which saw a large turnout of spectators, marked the first competitive meeting between the two sides at the Nsenkyire Sports complex in Samreboi.
Despite a consolation goal from Ebenezer Ackabhi, Samartex were unable to overcome Kotoko, who secured a 2-1 victory courtesy of first-half goals from Enoch Morrison and Rocky Dwamena.
During the post-game conference, Walker acknowledged that his team’s excessive respect towards Kotoko contributed to their defeat.
“During the course of the game, I noticed we gave Kotoko too much respect and due to the mentality at which Kotoko approached the game, I told my bench they (Kotoko) will try to get an early goal to cushion them and make sure they get to the driving seat because they know if the game should travel at length, things will be difficult for them.
“My defenders also made it easy for them to score the 2 goals but in total, I think we overly showed Kotoko too much respect,” Walker said.
Samartex have dropped from the 8th position to the 9th with 30 points after 22 games.
By Barak Mintah Brown
