Barker impressed with Stellies grinding against Pirates

Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker says their top-three finish aspirations in the Betway Premiership are on track after grinding for a precious point against Orlando Pirates.

Stellies held Pirates to a stalemate in the league at home, Athlone Stadium, on Tuesday night – thanks to their determination and resilience.

Barker’s men were reduced to 10 in the 36th minute after last-man Brian Onyango got a red card for impeding Tshegofatso Mabasa who was through on goal.

That deficit saw Stellies finish the game with a man less, needing them to defend as a unit as the title chasing Pirates threw the proverbial kitchen sink at them in search of a lead and winning goal.

Such has been Stellies’ upward trajectory, Barker is synonymous with winning – having led the team to the Carling Knockout crown and third-place finish last season in the league.

Barker’s team took things up a notch this season, reaching the final of the MTN8 and the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final in which they’ll face Zamalek.

And so, thanks to that winning habit, Barker doesn’t take kindly to draws – let alone losses. A feat his family knows too well. But on Tuesday night, he probably arrived at home a different man.

“When I get home after drawing a game, I’d often be a bit down and my family would say ‘at least you didn’t lose’. And I’d always say ‘it’s two points dropped’,” Barker said.

“I think today it was a different story: it was a point gained, considering the circumstances and playing with 10 men.

“So, I think it’s a really good point for us against a really good team. It just keeps our unbeaten run (in the league) to six games – three wins and three draws.

“I told the players that for us to keep going and achieve our ambitions which is to finish in the top three, we need to go through those unbeaten runs.”

Barker is also content with the players that he has at his disposal. As such, he understood why Onyango had to take one for the team.

Barker is an admirer of Onyango as a person and player so much so that he believes his inclusion in the Kenyan national team provisional squad for the World Cup qualifiers will be key for them.

“Benni (McCarthy, Harambee Stars’ new coach) has done the right thing – Brian offers character and leadership. He’s one of the best humans I’ve ever worked with,” Barker said.

“I think he (Onyango) plays with his heart on his sleeve. The way he encourages players and speaks to young players, I think he’ll add that as a national team player as well.

“Plus, sometimes in Africa for the World Cup qualifiers you need some bit of aerial strength – a strong defender at the back. He’s a calm footballer who doesn’t give the ball away.”

Another player who’s also impressed Barker is second-choice goalie Oscarine Masuluke who’s kept clean sheets in back-to-back games while standing in for No 1 Sage Stephens.

“I think in a couple of games back, Oscar took over from Sage who had a couple of yellow cards heading into the Chiefs. So we rested him against Marumo (Gallants),” Barker said.

“He (Oscarine) kept a clean sheet in that game, and today. It’s good that he’s putting those sorts of types of performances in.

“They give us the sort of comfort that if he needs to play, he’s more than capable of playing, and produce the results for us.”