Manqoba Mngqithi insists Golden Arrows remains a work in progress despite derby win

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HALALISANI Vilakazi of Richards Bay FC competes with Siyanda Ndlovu of Lamontville Golden Arrows during the Betway Premiership at King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban. | BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
LAMONTVILLE Golden Arrows got their season back on track with a hard-fought 1-0 win over neighbors Richards Bay FC in their Betway Premiership clash at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Wednesday.
Junior Dion proved to be the difference between the two sides, as his second-half strike ensured Arrows bounced back from their opening-day defeat against Siwelele FC, while also securing bragging rights in the KwaZulu-Natal derby.
In a match where Abafana Bes'thende spent large spells on the back foot, they will take confidence from grinding out a timely result in the wake of their confidence-denting first loss.
Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi was pleased to leave with maximum points, though he admitted his side did not fully control the match and still has plenty to work on even through victory.
'The whole of the first half I was not happy with our output in the final third,' Mngqithi said after his side's win.
'In the second half, Richards Bay came in stronger, and they put a lot of pressure in our box. The good thing about them is that with any half chance, they are always looking to take a shot, and that is probably the biggest difference between us and them.
'Overall performance was okay; I will not say it was good, because we struggled to keep control of the game. Even when we had some good passing moments, we were edgy; we never really put our foot on the ground.
'We will improve, and it was good that we got the result. We were edgy, and it was probably coming from the previous performance and the mistakes we made, because we have committed some silly mistakes. I do not know what is happening, because in pre-season we were very clean.'
While the former Mamelodi Sundowns mentor believes his squad has enough quality, he has not ruled out adding reinforcements.
'We have got a very good bunch of players; it's just unfortunate that some of them are still carrying some minor injuries.
'It would be nice to add one or two players, but I am not rushing into that. I must make sure that I build on what I have. We are hoping to get some new players to add to our spine—one or two—and I am optimistic it will happen.'
Richards Bay coach Ronnie Gabriel was positive about his side's effort and application on the night but lamented their inability to deliver the killer blow when they had Arrows under pressure for much of the game.