Gabriel Blames Red Card And Fatigue For Richards Bay’s Huge Derby Loss
Richards Bay coach Ronnie Gabriel believes the red card and penalty decision played a major role in his side’s disappointing defeat to Milford in the Richards Bay Derby on Sunday.
The Natal Rich Boys suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to their local rivals at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium, with the turning point coming when Lindokuhle Zikhali was shown a straight red card after conceding a penalty.
Richards Bay had started the match well, with the game evenly contested while the score remained 0-0. However, Zikhali attempted to showboat, lost possession, and Milford launched a counter-attack.
The youngster then attempted to recover from his mistake but ended up committing a foul inside the box, resulting in a penalty and a red card. Milford converted from the spot, leaving Richards Bay with 10 men for the remainder of the contest.
Gabriel felt the decision changed the complexion of the game and made it difficult for his side to compete on an equal footing.
“Of course, it was a disappointing result on Sunday,” he said.
“We started the game well, and it was balanced until the red card and the penalty decision.
“However, with a man down, we continued to chase the game. We didn’t hold back.
“We continued to put numbers forward, and the opposition caught us on the break. That’s how the score ended up the way it did, but it was disappointing for us.”
The 50-year-old coach also believes fatigue from playing with 10 men contributed to the heavy defeat, with his players forced to cover more ground throughout the match.
“See, remember, firstly, you have to take into context that you’re playing with a man short, and each player ends up covering extra yards,” he added.
“And they will start well and give it all in terms of their anaerobic capacity, but as the half progresses, it’s expected that their fitness levels will run down and fatigue will set in if you’re playing with a man short, especially at the PSL level.
“So, as you say, they started well, but as time went on, a little bit of fatigue from covering the extra yards set in, and it was expected for it to end up like this.”
The defeat means Richards Bay are still searching for their first win of the Betway Premiership season after six matches.
The Natal Rich Boys have suffered three defeats and recorded three draws so far, leaving them with three points and sitting 14th on the league table.
The Natal Rich Boys will now have to quickly put the derby defeat behind them as they turn their attention to their next league encounter against Sekhukhune United.
Gabriel’s side will host Babina Noko at Princess Magogo Stadium on Saturday, with the Natal Rich Boys hoping to finally secure their first victory of the season and move away from the bottom half of the table.
