Richards Bay wary of desperate Gallants as top-eight chase continues

The Natal Rich Boyz head into the fixture after playing to a goalless draw against Polokwane City earlier this week, while Gallants remain under pressure near the bottom end of the table as they continue their fight to avoid relegation.

Gabriel says matches against teams battling for survival are often the toughest because of the urgency and determination that comes with protecting their topflight status.

"So they'll be coming all out on their home ground to take maximum points against us; however, we need to plan correctly, travel early, get a session underneath our belt and get ready for Saturday's encounter," said Gabriel

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"We understand that Marumo Gallants team can be a very dangerous opposition on their day, and we will plan aaccordingly and be ready for that encounter."

Despite failing to score against Polokwane City, Richards Bay created several promising opportunities and enjoyed the better share of possession during the match at the Umhlathuze Sports Complex.

Gabriel believes his side’s overall attacking play has improved in recent weeks, but admits they still need to be more clinical in front of goal if they want to finish the season strongly.

Richards Bay have already done enough to secure their place in the Premiership for next season and currently occupy 11th position on the standings with 32 points and three matches remaining in the campaign.

Gabriel says the technical team wants to maintain momentum in the closing stages of the season, while also continuing to expose some of the club’s younger players to topflight football.

The KwaZulu-Natal outfit secured a place in last season’s top eight in dramatic fashion after beating SuperSport United on the final day of the campaign, and they still have hopes of repeating that achievement this year.

Gabriel, who shares coaching duties with Papi Zothwane, says the team remains focused on collecting maximum points from their remaining fixtures as they continue their push for a second successive MTN8 qualification.