Phakaaathi.co.za New boys Uthongathi slip up
KZN CLASH: SHALULILE HITS WINNER
Sibongiseni Gumbi
Awin over the high-flying Highlands Park would have been a big scalp for lowly National First Division (NFD) new boys Uthongathi FC but a failure to convert chances let them down and Owen da Gama’s side continued their impressive run, winning 1-0 in Durban.
Namibian striker Peter Shalulile was again the hero for the Lions of the North, scoring the all-important goal which ensured the team open up a three point lead at the top of the table.
Uthongathi defender Ntwenhle Zondi however blamed his team’s impotence in front of goal for the defeat and said it is something they will need to work on if they are to make any mark in this division in their first season. He admitted that beating Highlands would have been a big boost to their campaign.
“It came with massive heartbreak because we wanted to bounce back but it didn’t go our way,” said Zondi.
In 11 matches, Uthongathi have managed just two wins against five draws and four defeats and are 13th with 11 points.
“We have to regroup now and focus on the next game. I don’t think anything went wrong for us except that we have not been converting chances and if we had, we would be telling a different story now. As a group we will have to work hard on converting our chances,” said Zondi.
Meanwhile, with five teams going into last weekend’s NFD with new coaches, it was always going to be interesting to see if they could have immediate effect.
Of the five, four managed to get a positive start and will be looking to build on that going forward. Super Eagles’ Antonio Flores got off to a dream start, beating Cape Town All Stars 1- 0.
Black Leopards’ Ivan Minaert also collected the full points in his first match in charge, beating Mthatha Bucks 2-0. Bucks are, meanwhile, yet to announce Ian Palmer’s replacement.
Mbombela United – who axed Petrus Chauke despite the team doing well – got off to a great start under Aschwin Sutton who guided them to a 3-0 win over Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila.
Jean Luscuito could not get a win in his first game but a draw against the in-form Witbank Spurs was not a bad result for the struggling Richards Bay FC.