Viva Rich Boyz viva!
Dreadful 19-game winless streak broken in superb attacking display
ONE super strike was enough to give Richards Bay FC their first win of the season in a dazzling away display against Moroka Swallows on Friday night.
But they could and should have bagged a few more as they ran the Dube Birds ragged with incredible hard work and relentless attack to silence the large Dobsonville Stadium crowd.
The stats tell the story: NRB with 9 shots, four of them on target, and Swallow 5 shots with not a single one fired accurately.
The lone goal was worth the admission fee. Justice Figareido, freshly back from international duty for eSwathini, was impeccably positioned to receive a pin-perfect pass from Sanele Barns, who had outstripped his marker with a fabulous turn of pace on the right flank.
Figareido still had lots to do, with two men in front of him, but he controlled, swivelled and side-stepped both before slamming the ball into the net (1-0) in the 54th minute.
The same pair could both have been on the score sheet before half time when Figareido got behind the home side’s back four and keeper Daniel Akpeyi got his fingertips to a scorching shot that was heading for the far corner.
The rebound fell into the path of Barns, who hit the side netting from three metres away.
The Rich Boy were never in cruise control and the six yellow cards they earned in the game was an indication of their tenacity and physicality as they closed down every opposition attack
They were simply not going to lose this one, despite Salim Magoola having to pull off a miracle save when a deflected cross had him at full stretch.
There could have been another late goal for Richards Bay when that man Figareido put substitute Yanele Mbuthuma through and his shot rebounded off both posts without crossing the goal line. An obvious man of the match, Figareido summed it up well in the post-match interview when he said ‘we came here to war’.
Coach Kaitano Tembo praised the players who ‘worked their socks off’ and applauded chairman Jomo Biyela for his patience in giving the team a chance to make things right after 19 games without a win (including last season).
He himself must also take credit, both for his planning, tactics and team selection. He certainly brought out the best in the boys.
They are not out of the woods yet, but this win plus two draws and a narrow 1-0 loss to Sundowns in their last four games shows a distinct upward trend.
Another win at home to Chippa United on Tuesday will put an exclamation mark on their newfound confidence.