Richards Bay co-coach Vasili Manousakis bemoaned the side's "disastrous" first ten minutes of the second half against Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Natal Rich Boyz bowed out of the Nedbank Cup in the first round for the second successive season against the same opponent after two of their goals scored by Nkanyiso Zungu and Katleho Makateng were not enough to prevent elimination.
Manousakis, however, believes they have made progress since being thrashed 4-0 by the Brazilians at this stage of the tournament last season while they were still campaigning in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
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"Ja, I think we're making progress, you know there's still a lot to learn. You can't come out in the second half like that with a disastrous first ten minutes where the game changes," Manousakis told SuperSport TV.
"We worked so hard to get ourselves back into the game, you come out of the change room, first ten minutes, then you're always going to be up against it.
"So anyway, it is what it is. I'm proud of the boys for some of the moments, naïve in a lot of other moments but we move on," he said.
The former Cape Town City and AmaZulu assistant coach went on to say that he would have liked to see the bravery they showed in the first-half after equalizing carried through to the second stanza.
"The bravery was in the first-half to lift yourself up after that goal and get yourself back into it and as I said, it would have been good to see that bravery when you come out and start half-time, we all know it's a critical phase and you concede two easy goals like that," he carried on.
"I mean another set-piece, same against Swallows, so it's a little bit annoying but it's tough for these boys and we keep going.
"I think if we can keep ourselves going over 90 minutes you know, keep the consistency, this league doesn't give you a chance to go to sleep you know but as I said we just keep going, a good lesson for these boys and good for some of them to get minutes," he added.
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