A step forward – Hunt happy with draw before hosting Orlando Pirates

Durban City head coach Gavin Hunt left the Umhlathuze Sports Complex satisfied after his side held Richards Bay to a tense goalless draw on Sunday, describing the result as another valuable step in their Betway Premiership campaign.

The stalemate kept the promoted outfit firmly in seventh place, extending their encouraging start to life in the top flight. 

With seven points collected in their last five league matches and four points snatched from their last two outings, Hunt said his team were showing the kind of maturity needed to survive a demanding season.

“A draw is a point and at this level it moves us forward, other teams lost today and for us it’s a step forward, we just need to keep moving forward and closer to our goal,” he said.

For Hunt, the performance carried more meaning than the result. 

Durban City’s young squad — most of whom are experiencing the Betway Premiership for the first time — showed composure in a fixture often defined by intensity and high stakes.

“We are a young team with a lot of players who haven’t played at this level so we keep moving forward with that.”

The fixture also served as an important psychological boost ahead of one of the biggest tests of their season.

Next weekend, City host Soweto giants and title-chasing Orlando Pirates at the Moses Mabhida Stadium — a match expected to draw a sizeable crowd and elevate the club’s growing profile. Hunt acknowledged the magnitude of that clash, but emphasised that Sunday’s point needed to be appreciated in context. 

Newly promoted teams often lose momentum in the early months, but City continue to show defensive steel and adaptability in challenging environments. He believes maintaining their top eight position after the Pirates game would represent a major step in their survival objective.

“If we can get to the break in a good spot the way we are and not go down, I think we’ll have a good chance of staying up.”

The seasoned mentor has repeatedly spoken about the importance of accumulating small but consistent gains — and Sunday provided another one. 

While both teams created big moments in a match marked by transitions and sporadic openings, City’s defensive discipline stood out. 

The draw also highlighted Hunt’s ability to navigate tight matches, managing the rhythm and protecting his team’s structure without sacrificing their ambition.

For a club still adjusting to top-flight demands, the result was another reminder that they are becoming harder to beat, particularly in derby environments where emotional control becomes decisive. 

And while Hunt avoided looking too far ahead, he conceded that reaching the AFCON break in the top half of the table would boost the group’s confidence and reward the work done since preseason.

As the attention now shifts to Pirates, City will step into a marquee fixture with belief and momentum intact — precisely the scenario Hunt hopes will fuel their push to remain in the division long beyond their debut season.