Chiefs were held to a goalless stalemate by the Lions of the North, who put out a resilient display and even had chances to steal all three points on Tuesday evening.
With Khama Billiat kept quiet for much of the game, Amakhosi looked to be out of ideas in the attacking third as they created only a handful of decent opportunities.
Solinas felt a share of the spoils was a fair outcome for both teams, considering how his side struggled to adapt to the smaller field and lumpy surface.
“Congratulations to Highlands Park, they fought to get the result, so I think the result was fair,” said Solinas after the match.
“I’m happy with the attitude of my players because they fought and tried to win the game. It was not easy to play combination football because the field dimension is small, and the grass was not good.
“I don’t know why they did not cut the grass [because] the ball was bumpy. But, it’s okay. We shift focus to the next game [against Polokwane City].”
Chiefs had been deadly in their previous three outings, mesmerising defences with their quick combination play up front, but the Italian bemoaned that such a surface required his players to resort to “amateur” football, and he refused to oblige.
“We like playing the ball on the ground, because we have good, technical players, so we try to play the ball on the ground,” he added.
“But today the field was not good, and even the players complained that it’s bumpy. The grass was high, and the ball did not move quickly, so combination play was difficult for us.
“But this is not an excuse. We are in the PSL – premier league, so we need a good field if you want to watch a good game. If you want to watch an amateur game, okay, we’ll play long balls like amateurs.
“If you want to see a good game, we need a good field. This is all it is, but it’s no excuse, because Highlands Park also deserved the result. I’m merely explaining that my team tried to play football on the ground, but if the ground is not good then it’s difficult for us.”
