Richards Bay finally got their DStv Premiership campaign up and running after beating Moroka Swallows 1-0 at Dobsonville Stadium on Friday night.
But while Richards got their first league win of the season they remained 15th on the standings with five points, a mere point behind the 10th placed Polokwane City.
The Dube Birds who were soaring high before the Fifa break, having won two games on the bounce, were brought down to earth, albeit remaining sixth on the standings with seven points.
So having the two teams had contrasting starts to the season, with Swallows soaring under coach Steve Komphela and the Natal Rich Boys poor under Kaitano Tembo, the break proved to be a double edged sword.
Swallows’ winning momentum was heavily disrupted, while Richards recharged their batteries to get their first win of the season – to give Tembo a breather.
Richards’ winner came from Man of the Match Justice Figuareido early in the second half as the visitors made use of one chance from those they created.
The Natal Rich Boys had always looked like the team that would grab the win, though, having had the best chance of the game in the first half as well.
On the stroke of half-time, goalkeeper Salim Magoola unleashed a long-range ball that was flicked by Somila Ntsundwana towards the path of an onrushing Figuareido.
The Eswatini-born striker did well to get at the end of a loose ball before hitting a shot that Daniel Akepyi parried towards the path of Sanele Barns who missed a sitter, despite seemingly ease to score.
Before that effort, the game had been compact for the better part of the first half, with chances coming few and far between for both sides.
Swallows’ striker Tshegofatso Mabasa was wasteful up front, though, putting his close-range strike wide early on before squandering another chance by taking long to fire his shot away as Richards regrouped.
But unlike Mabasa, Richards duo, Figuareido and Barns, dropped their wasteful act in the second half as they combined to give the visitors the lead early on.
Barns whipped a telling cross from the right flank which found Figuareido who unceremoniously had ample of space to turn before ratting the roof of Akpeyi’s net.
A strikers awareness and goal by Justice Figuareido 🔥
📱 Stream the #DStvPrem live: https://t.co/TesYUfo62x pic.twitter.com/FLwKvKNV5F
The 25-year-old striker should have doubled his team’s dally before the 70th minute after stealing possession from Kwanda Mngonyama’s poor clearance but his final product was dealt with by Akpeyi.
Had Richards found the second they’d have despaired Swallows, having the introduction of Andile Jali in the second half stabilised the second half and saw the team press more.
But it wasn’t to be. A scramble ball from Keanan Phillips hit the crossbar and the upright before Richards grabbed a slender win after Yanela Mbuthuma also hit the upright in stoppage for the visitors.
IOL Sport