After playing to a 1-1 draw with Chippa United in their Premier Soccer League match on Wednesday, Sekhukhune United will be eager to bounce back to winning ways when they face Polokwane City at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday at 3pm to tighten their grip on the top spot.
With Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs dropping points in their midweek matches, Babina Noko failed to take advantage and increase their lead at the top after they were held to a disappointing draw.
They remain the only team to be unbeaten this season and have 20 points from eight matches and lead second-placed Sundowns by two.
Against Chippa, they had to come back from a goal down to force a draw and could have won it right at the end had Bradley Grobler’s penalty in injury time not been saved by the Chilli Boys goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Sekhukhune coach Eric Tinkler said he cannot fault the commitment shown by the players as he feels they should have walked away with a win.
“We had a chance to win right at the end with another penalty, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen,” Tinkler said.
“I can’t fault the boys for the effort on that type of thing, but disappointment from all of us, technical staff and players, for not having collected three points. I think we deserve to have collected three points.”
This season, Sekhukhune have mastered the art of scoring late to win or draw matches, having done so against Chippa, Golden Arrows, AmaZulu and Magesi, and Tinkler has explained what has been important for their fighting spirit.
“We will always look to find a way to win irrespective of whether we are down or not, players keep on pushing,” he said.
“The guys who started and the guys who came on are looking to contribute to the success of the club.”
Tinkler will again rely on Grobler for goals, with the veteran striker enjoying a rich vein of form after scoring the equaliser against the Chilli Boys to net his sixth league goal.
Meanwhile, Chippa will look to build on that result when they host Stellenbosch at Buffalo City Stadium on Sunday at 5.30pm.
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