Zikhali strike lifts Richards Bay closer to safety despite late drama

LINDOKUHLE ZIKHALI scored the only goal in a contrasting individual performance that oscillated between thew sublime and reckless which, nevertheless, helped Richards Bay secure three crucial points, edging them ever closer to safety from the dreaded play-offs. The Natal Rich Boyz are now up to 11th position with two matches remaining.

The KwaZulu-Natal outfit defeated TS Galaxy 1-0 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, with their young player Zikhali showing great tenacity to stay on his feet after being tackled en route to goal — where many would have gone down in search of a set-piece. Instead, he remained composed and slotted past the advancing Ira Tape for a goal worth its weight in gold in the 51st minute.

The victory saw Richards Bay increase their points tally to 29 — six more than bottom-placed Cape Town City — with both clubs still having two matches left to play.

Although initially the hero thanks to his goal, Zikhali quickly turned into a villain when he reduced his team to 10-men by earning a needless second yellow card for a reckless tackle that led to his sending off. Fortunately for him, his teammates managed to hold on and keep the marauding Rockets at bay until the final whistle.

There was a major scare for Richards Bay late in the match, however, when the referee awarded a penalty — only to reverse the decision upon realising that his assistant on the far side had rightly flagged for offside.

Galaxy must now wait two weeks before playing their final match against Orlando Pirates, and will be watching with interest to see if they can hold on to their Top 8 position.

Scorers

TS Galaxy 0

Richards Bay (0) 1

Zikhali 51