Stellies Battling for Second Spot- Barker

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker acknowledges his team’s fight for second place in the DStv Premiership, despite the unusually high number of games they’ve played this season.
Stellies maintained their second-place position after drawing 1-1 away to Sekhukhune United on Wednesday. Ivorian striker Anicet Oura scored his second consecutive goal for Stellies to salvage the draw.
Currently, Stellenbosch sits three points ahead of Orlando Pirates with both teams having played 23 games. With Mamelodi Sundowns far ahead in the lead (13 points ahead with 2 games in hand), Stellies are realistically competing for the second position that grants CAF competition qualification.
“It’s unfamiliar territory for us to be fighting for second,” admitted the 56-year-old Barker. “The games are coming thick and fast. We had good runs in the Carling Knockout Cup (4 games) and the Nedbank Cup, making this our 33rd or 34th game of the season.”
While acknowledging the dropped points after leading the Sekhukhune game, Barker seemed content with the away point, calling it “not a bad result” considering their upcoming schedule.
“We seem to draw a lot with Sekhukhune,” Barker said. “It’s not a bad point away from home, especially with a big away game coming on Sunday at Mbombela.”
The team boasts an impressive 22-game unbeaten run in all competitions and is one win away from achieving a club record of 12 wins in a single league campaign.
“22 games unbeaten is a really good run,” Barker commented. “It’s been tough, two draws with Sekhukhune back-to-back, but reaching 12 wins would be magnificent for the club.”
The coach cautiously addressed the possibility of a top-two finish with seven games remaining.
“It’s still a long way to go,” Barker said. “Consistency in performance is key, and sometimes a little bit of luck is also needed.”
A challenging fixture list awaits Stellenbosch in the latter stages of the season, with their next clash being an away match against TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.
Picture courtesy of Stellenbosch