Richards Bay coach Ronnie Gabriel rues missed chance to beat Kaizer Chiefs

Richards Bay FC coach Ronnie Gabriel says his side “threw away” three points after twice surrendering the lead in their 2-2 draw against Kaizer Chiefs in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday evening.

The Natal Rich Boyz moved in front on two occasions at the Princess Magogo Stadium, but Amakhosi responded each time to secure a share of the points. Gabriel believes Richards Bay had done enough to win the match, particularly after establishing the advantage twice.

Instead, they had to settle for one point, leaving the coach frustrated by what he viewed as a missed opportunity.

“After leading twice in the game, I felt we could have held on for the three points,” said Gabriel.

“It’s disappointing to throw away the three points like that and take one point.

Gabriel’s assessment came with recognition of the challenge posed by Kaizer Chiefs. The Soweto giants enjoyed greater possession for long periods and placed Richards Bay under sustained pressure during the contest.

The coach said his players were forced to deal with a series of difficult moments and demanding challenges, but felt their overall effort and commitment deserved a better reward.

“But be that as it may, we came up against a very strong Kaizer Chiefs team. I think they also held possession for long periods in the game.

“They gave us some difficult moments, some difficult challenges that we had to dissolve.

Richards Bay’s ability to take the lead twice was not enough to secure victory, with Kaizer Chiefs recovering on both occasions to ensure the points were shared. For Gabriel, the result did not fully reflect the level of preparation and application shown by his team.

The coach said Richards Bay would have ideally wanted to complete the job and claim maximum points, while also emphasising the importance of carrying the same performance into their next fixture.

“But again, I think with that type of performance that we put out here today, with the effort that we put, the commitment by the group, preparations on course, we would have ideally liked to take the three points today.

“So, we’ll have to take this type of effort into the next game against AmaZulu and see if it gets us three points.”

The draw means Richards Bay leave the meeting with Kaizer Chiefs having gained a point, although Gabriel’s focus has already turned to the next match against AmaZulu. He will hope the commitment and preparation displayed at the Princess Magogo Stadium can be repeated and produce the result that eluded his side on Wednesday.