NRB need to strike hard
WATCHING Richards Bay FC go down 1-0 to Jomo Cosmos on Sunday was like the first time sucking one of those sour balls that are coated with sugar and then comes the bitterness.
For almost the entire game the NRB boys played brilliant, attacking football, creating sweet movements that spanned the length and breadth of the pitch and setting up an abundance of opportunities.
It felt like the goal would inevitably come, more so as they turned on the heat in the second half.
But it never happened, and against all the odds it was the visitors who scrambled home the winner in time added on, leaving a sour taste in spectators’ mouths.
Sometimes a team gets beaten because the opponents are simply too good; this was not one of those times. Richards Bay were superior in all departments and Cosmos for the most part resorted to ‘hit and hope’ long shots, as opposed to NRB’s crafted attacks.
The problem for head coach Simo Dladla is that none of his guys played badly, and it’s hard to pinpoint how to overcome this perpetual problem of being the better team on the day but not getting the win.
It’s a pattern we have seen all season: losing by a single goal after dominating throughout the 90 minutes.
And while we don’t lack the firepower up front, we seem most likely to get a goal from the midfielders and defenders, as the likes of Veluyeke Zulu, Simphiwe Mcineka and Sibusiso Msomi press forward for corners and free kicks. For me, no two front men have clicked in tandem and there seems to be no ‘telepathic’ understanding among the strikers, with most shots at goal being solo efforts.
Perhaps, with yet another bye this weekend, teaming up pairs of striker combinations could be a worthy exercise.
Next game is away to Steenberg United on 29 February, followed by two home games 8 March vs Royal Eagles and 15 March vs TS Sporting.