Bucks feeling the pinch after spate of defeats

MTHATHA Bucks will want to avoid adding another loss to the belt when they take on Super Eagles at Mthatha Stadium tomorrow.

Amathol’amnyama seemed to have a good start to the season but things have turned out to be a bit challenging for the Mthatha-based outfit after having played nine games, lost three, won three and drew three times and they are now on 12 points.

“This is not where we wanted to be by now, the draws I can understand but the losses I can’t. At least if we had to convert those losses into draws it could have been a better story because if we don’t win we don’t lose,” said Bucks coach Ian Palmer.

“Because we could have been on 15 points with the others now. So it’s gonna be a tough task tomorrow and we have to go out there and show character and put out a much better performance than what we did against [Real] Kings and plus it’s a home game as well.”

Palmer said he had a few concerns but his charges were more focused than they usually are and he was confident they wouldn’t let him and their fans down easily.

“[Linda] Bhengu got injured at training yesterday so we’ll see how he recovers. Also [Richard] Mkhize got injured on Tuesday including Luvo Nkala who got injured during our friendly game. So we are hoping for a nice recovery and hopefully by today we’ll have a clear indication, because all I want to do is to play an attacking team.

“We need to try and put them [Super Eagles] on the backfoot as quickly as possible and try and get a goal or two if possible, because if we want to win this game – we need to win in the first half.

“We need to supply Mpho Erasmus a little bit more, that is the key to win.”

He said their opponents were coming off a loss and they were more likely to defend and try to play on the counterattack rather than taking them headon. “It's important for us to find a way as to how we can break them down, which we have been practising throughout the week.

“Lucky Mathosi is also in – he didn’t do to so bad last week so he is in the 18men squad. Bongani “BK” Kama will be present also but I may make one or two tactical changes to have a little bit more attacking players. The boys seem focused but my cry is that why do we have be that focused when we lose, why can’t we be consistent.