Bernard Parker thrilled with TS Galaxy's relegation saving win over PSL title chasing Mamelodi Sundowns - 'We don’t have answers but solutions'

In a thrilling encounter at the Mbombela Stadium, TS Galaxy defied the odds to hand the Betway Premiership pacesetters a rare defeat.

For Bernard Parker, the victory was not merely a result of luck but of a psychological advantage his side has cultivated against the Brazilians following their recent success in cup competition.

Speaking to SuperSport after the final whistle, Parker highlighted that his team felt no fear going into the clash.

“As I said in the pre-match interview because of the psychological factor we have over them," Parker told SuperSport.

"At the same time, they were more under pressure by them having to score a lot of goals and having to win the match and it was also good for them to win the match going to play the Champions League final – wish them all the best for the Champions League final.”

The Rockets had to be at their resilient best to hold off the Sundowns attack, and Parker credited their preparation for the way they handled the pressure.

The interim boss emphasized that while football is often unpredictable, his technical team focused on providing concrete instructions to navigate the challenge of facing the best team in the country.

“But as we say in football we don’t have answers but solutions and we came up with a solution in terms of us being disciplined, taking the responsibility and at the same time having the unity especially in our defending and just hit them on the counter-attack because we have been practising on how they keep a high-line and for us just to make sure we attack the space behind with the young man Mahlambi,” Parker explained.

Central to Galaxy’s game plan was exploiting the space behind the Sundowns defence.

Parker singled out young attacker Mahlambi as the primary outlet for their transitional play, noting that the youngster's directness has become a vital weapon for the club in their fight against relegation.

Parker concluded by praising the execution of his players, stating: “He has been so far our dangerous player for the last couple of games so why not get the ball early to him, create one-v-one in the two previous games he got us a penalty and again today so the game-plan was spot-on in terms of us playing to our strengths."

The result ensures Parker’s tenure gets a significant lift as they have secured their place in the division for next season.

Despite the former Kaizer Chiefs striker saving them from relegation, Parker will not be the main man in the hotseat next season.

TS Galaxy chairman Tim Sukazi has already ruled out appointing Bernard Parker as the club’s permanent coach next season.

"I'm the one who spoke loudly and will keep on doing so because football education amongst our coaches is very important," Sukazi said as per SABC Sport.

"So, Coach Parker is undergoing all these courses, and the club will continue to support him.

"We are not about to rush him into coaching full steam, so to speak, but he is still working towards that," the chairman added.

Sukazi went on to reveal he’d been flooded with applications for the vacant post and would soon decide on which route to take.

"It's humbling to receive so many unsolicited applications," Sukazi noted.

"It would seem that we are a recognisable club out there.

"If you could see the track records of some of these coaches, from all walks of life, showing an interest in TS Galaxy,"