Nhlanhla Gasa was there to pounce on a goalkeeper error and put Golden Arrows ahead against Stellies. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi wasn't too pleased with his team's performance against Stellenbosch FC in Durban on Wednesday evening.
Arrows and Stellies shared a point each after a 1-1 draw at the King Zwelithini Stadium in uMlazi.
Afterwards, Mngqithi didn't hold back, regarding his team's first half performance, despite Arrows hogging the possession. The hosts failed to fire a single shot on target in the first stanza and kept gifting the ball back to Stellies.
Nonetheless, Arrows made the breakthrough 76th minutes into the encounter, thanks to a gift handed to them by Stellenbosch goalkeeper Sage Stephens. The latter had no business being so far outside the 18-yard box and ended up being dispossessed of the ball, with Nhlanhla Gasa converting the opportunity.
Abafana Bes'thende's tenious lead lasted only a few minutes before Genino Palace equalised for the Cape-based side. Arrows' performance, especially in the first half, lacked movement both on and off the ball, according to Mngqithi, which the second-half substitutions helped change.
"Our first half lacked mobility and didn't really show much, but our second-half performance was strong," Mngqithi said. "We showed intent.
"The substitutions came on and really gave a good account of themselves. Unfortunately, we conceded such a silly goal from our own mistake because we kept playing the long ball. We couldn't really control the game after scoring and that's why we conceded
"We never really supported (Junior) Dion up front in the first half," he added. "Everyone wanted the ball at their feet and they never tried to move into the spaces they gave us.
"Their centre-backs were following our strikers, so there were spaces in between. But there was no movement in the first half. But the boys who came in during the second half really gave us what we wanted."
The draw elevated Arrows into the Top 8 of the Betway Premiership table with Mngqithi confident his side can remain there with 10 games left.
Jehran Naidoo is sports reporter for Independent Media and social media coordinator of the our YouTube channel The Clutch.