IT HAS been backs-to-the-wall stuff for a while now for relegation-haunted Lamontville Golden Arrows, but the players might have woken up to the fact too late.
Arrows surprisingly beat Platinum Stars 4-1 in Rustenburg last weekend to hold onto the last bit of hope of surviving automatic relegation.
They face SuperSport United at Princess Magogo Stadium tonight at 7.30pm with no margin left for error. Defeat would spell the end of their hopes of survival, while a draw would nudge them closer to the edge of the cliff.
Interim coach Shaun Bartlett said the team would fight to the death. They've been invigorated by their first win in 10 league outings, he said. "Until it is mathematically impossible to survive, we will fight to the death," said Bartlett.
"We can't give up now. We still have the confidence and self-belief to pull ourselves out of trouble.
"The three points available [tonight] will be crucial in putting pressure on those closest to us. By the time Free State Stars play at the weekend we would have closed the gap to three points.
"The result against Platinum Stars was built on the momentum of our previous two games. We should have taken the three points against Ajax Cape Town and Bloemfontein Celtic in those draws."
Abafana Bes'thende have to repeat their miracle work for their remaining three games against United, AmaZulu and Orlando Pirates and hope Ea Lla Koto drop nine points from their remaining four.
Bartlett, who has started the last three games with at least three strikers, said he would again come out of the dugout swinging by deploying Chris Katongo, Bongi Ntuli and Festus Mbewe in attack.
"We are required to take a lot of risks in squad selection because of the situation we are in," Bartlett said. "There is no more use of being defensive and sitting back, we've got to put as much pressure on the opposition as we can in search of three points."
Bartlett still has hope for survival
IT HAS been backs-to-the-wall stuff for a while now for relegation-haunted Lamontville Golden Arrows, but the players might have woken up to the fact too late.
Arrows surprisingly beat Platinum Stars 4-1 in Rustenburg last weekend to hold onto the last bit of hope of surviving automatic relegation.
They face SuperSport United at Princess Magogo Stadium tonight at 7.30pm with no margin left for error. Defeat would spell the end of their hopes of survival, while a draw would nudge them closer to the edge of the cliff.
Interim coach Shaun Bartlett said the team would fight to the death. They've been invigorated by their first win in 10 league outings, he said. "Until it is mathematically impossible to survive, we will fight to the death," said Bartlett.
"We can't give up now. We still have the confidence and self-belief to pull ourselves out of trouble.
"The three points available [tonight] will be crucial in putting pressure on those closest to us. By the time Free State Stars play at the weekend we would have closed the gap to three points.
"The result against Platinum Stars was built on the momentum of our previous two games. We should have taken the three points against Ajax Cape Town and Bloemfontein Celtic in those draws."
Abafana Bes'thende have to repeat their miracle work for their remaining three games against United, AmaZulu and Orlando Pirates and hope Ea Lla Koto drop nine points from their remaining four.
Bartlett, who has started the last three games with at least three strikers, said he would again come out of the dugout swinging by deploying Chris Katongo, Bongi Ntuli and Festus Mbewe in attack.
"We are required to take a lot of risks in squad selection because of the situation we are in," Bartlett said. "There is no more use of being defensive and sitting back, we've got to put as much pressure on the opposition as we can in search of three points."
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