Bay Stars victorious with 1 – 0 win in high paced derby
Nelson Mandela Bay’s best hope of Premier Soccer League (PSL) participation, Bay Stars, dished up a thriller of a match against Highbury yesterday and snatched a victory in the last minute thanks to the fine finishing ability of Leroy van Rensburg.
Coach Graham Harrison said he is proud of his charges, as they had fought hard, and played a full 90 minutes in a fast paced match that saw several of their opponents struggle with cramps and fatigue towards the end.
“I must admit that we did not play well, but still managed to secure the victory as a result of the fighting spirit of the boys,” he added.
The local derby also recorded the most spectators for a local Vodacom League match as more than 1 500 soccer fans pitched up to support the team.
Tampungu Dikete, former u-23 Congolese goalkeeper and one of nine new contracted players for Bay Stars, gave a good account of himself with his experience in the PSL and National First Division evident as he made a few good stops.
Harrison also fielded three of the new signings in Mositegi Moholane, Vuyolwethu Marele and Thabo Jonga in the starting line-up and this could have had a slight effect on the performance on the day as the new players are still finding their feet.
However his decisions paid off and it is clear that there is much more depth in the squad now. The other new names in the Bay Stars family are Moses Setlatjile, Anathi Mbebe, Lindsey Jennings, Achuma Klaas and Luvuyo Bika.
Bay Stars Managing Director Tony Lovegrove said he is elated with the three points as local derbies are never easy to contest.
“We will work hard on producing much more polished performances and the correctness of the decision to sign nine new players was also confirmed with the spectacular victory.
“I am convinced that we are still well on track with our plans to take the team to a much higher level,” he added.
Bay Stars will be taking on Mthatha Bucks at the Rotary Stadium on Saturday, 11 February at 15:00.
