Richards Bay coach Ronnie Gabriel believes his side are peaking at just the right time as the KwaZulu-Natal outfit fight to retain their top-flight status in the final stretch of the Premiership season.
The Natal Rich Boyz secured a vital three points with a hard-fought 1-0 win over relegation rivals Cape Town City last Friday – a result that could prove pivotal in the battle for survival.
The win lifted Richards Bay to 13th place, three points clear of City in 14th and four ahead of 15th-placed SuperSport United, although the Pretoria side have two games in hand.
Still, Gabriel is choosing to focus on what his team can control: performance and consistency.
“We’re very pleased to see everything coming together,” said Gabriel after the victory.
“This was a well-oiled performance – you could see all the departments functioning in unison.
“The way we moved, the way we pressed, the understanding between players – it was all there.”
🥅 Thulani Gumede....🎒
🅰️ Wandile Ngema #PhakweGas #NatalRichBoyZ pic.twitter.com/nP3m2kaEsL
In what was one of their most composed showings of the campaign, Richards Bay displayed fluidity and cohesion that eluded them for large parts of the season.
Gabriel attributed part of the improvement to the return of influential players like captain Simphiwe Mcineka, whose comeback from injury provided a timely boost.
“Mcineka comes back and it’s like he was never out,” the coach said.
“He might’ve been the missing puzzle piece in the last two games, especially considering we’ve conceded from set-pieces recently. His presence makes a difference.”
Gabriel also praised the growing chemistry within the squad, noting how the players are starting to anticipate each other’s movements with almost telepathic precision.
“There was a lot of telepathy in our play, coercion in our game, and synchronisation in the way we press and regain possession after losing the ball,” he added.
With five games remaining, Richards Bay are fully aware that the job is far from done.
The road ahead is anything but easy, with fixtures still to come against heavyweights Mamelodi Sundowns on April 30, in-form TS Galaxy, provincial rivals Golden Arrows and a crucial clash with fellow strugglers SuperSport United.
17 - No PSL top-flight team has won more points at home than Richards Bay since the beginning of the year (17 - P7 W5 D2 L0, level with TS Galaxy). Illuminated. pic.twitter.com/myMFibF5Et
Gabriel remains grounded in his approach, emphasising the importance of taking it one step at a time.
“We haven’t put a specific number on how many points we need. We’ve decided to take it game by game and focus on performance,” he said.
“We believe if we play well, the results will take care of themselves.”
That philosophy is clearly paying dividends, and if Richards Bay can maintain their newfound momentum, they may just secure their Premiership status for another season.
As the finish line nears, the unity and spirit in the Richards Bay camp could prove to be their greatest weapon.