Sekhukhune United shook off their poor run of form with a commanding win against AmaZulu, and now they hope to continue in that vein against Chippa United in East London on Saturday (3.30pm kick-off).
Wednesday night’s win promoted Lehlohonolo Seema and his troops to fourth position on the log, and they are now hot on the heels of neighbours Polokwane City (29 points).
City suffered a shock 1-0 loss against Magesi FC on Tuesday, and only one point separates them, with Sekhukhune having played one game less.
Babina Noko last won a league encounter in a 2-0 victory against Cape Town City last month.
Their triumph comes after a three-game winless run in the league, with their two draws sliced between a 2-1 loss against Orlando Pirates.
Having fallen behind in the AmaZulu game courtesy of an Etiosa Ighodaro opener in the fourth minute, Sekhukhune were in good form at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, and they capitalised on Usuthu’s inconsistency as they came roaring back to clinch an emphatic 4-2 victory.
Seema was pleased with his side’s efforts on the night against a tough AmaZulu side, who caused them a few issues.
“We are happy with the three points. We started well, but we need to get rid of the monkey that is on our backs, and stop conceding goals first and chase the game from there, as on some days, we will not be able to successfully do that,” said Seema.
“The good thing was the attitude was still there and we never gave up, but we kept on pushing.
“Looking at the score at 4-2, you might think that it was one-way traffic, but we had to work very hard, and we came up against a very spirited AmaZulu. Credit must go to them.
“The players showed resilience. They had to deal with the long balls and the neat passes in the middle, but I thought we did well.
“Tactically, we stuck there, and we knew we would get them from our transitions, just as long as our decision-making was good.”
Sekhukhune have conceded the most goals among any side in the top five and Seema, even through their impressive win, was quick to point out some of their most concerning shortfalls in their defence.
“The way we conceded was a concern because this is the second time we are conceding from the crosses. If we can’t stop them from coming in, we must at least try to deal with them, so we have to go back and work on them.”
Linda Mntambo came off the bench to score a match-winning brace within five minutes, and Seema was happy about his impact in the match and within the team.
“You are always trying to find space and time, and if we manage to find them, we encourage our wingers to attack the channels aggressively and make sure we have numbers coming into the box,” the coach said.
“There is positivity in the group. The guys that start the game are okay, even when they are being subbed, and those that are coming in ensure that they also do the job.
“I am happy with how the captain (Mntambo) has been carrying the team.
“He puts in positive energy whenever he comes into the field of play, and he managed to score two goals – I am happy for him.”