Batak: We had to use the chances we had in the first half

The coach of Vojvodina FC, Radoslav Batak congratulated his players on their fight and play against APOEL and pointed out that the experience of the Cyprians affected the final outcome of the match.

The footballers of the old lady lost tonight from APOEL with the score 1:2 and were therefore eliminated from the qualifications for the Conference league.

• Unfortunately, the same result as in the first game. We were attacking from the beginning, we had the initiative, we had the chances, especially in the first half. Again we received a cheap goal in the first half, at the moment when we had five players behind the ball, and they had only one, and that returning pass was enough to receive the goal from their chance in the first half. APOEL had more experience, but we didn’t slip, we scored for the draw and created new chances. We had more organized attacks, but their goalkeeper had four crucial defences. In the first half we entered the danger zone 10 times, and they entered only once, and scored. Yet, when you sum it all up, everything went in the direction that we gave our maximum, but mistakes are an integral part of the game, and they decide the quality of players. In the second half, in that one situation we failed to block the attack in time, instead of signalling the handball earlier, the referee signalled penalty in the following action. Aside from those two situations when we received goals, I have nothing to hold against my players. We created chances and fought, but unfortunately, we received cheap goals, and that cost us the elimination. I also have to note that one of their players has as many European games as our entire team together, and that is the experience we lack – Batak said.

He highlighted that he didn’t have much choice in making the lineup.

• We couldn’t change many things, because at this point this was the best prepared team. Malbašić has just returned from his injury, Bolingi is still not registered, and we couldn’t change anything crucial. In the finish, we started attacking, but lacked quality to threaten them. We also wanted to try the long shots, to disorganize them, but we failed to do so – Batak noted.