Bartlett’s mission to break down rigid VFA defence
Scoring and keeping clean sheet a priority for Spurs
Cape Town Spurs head coach Shaun Bartlett wants his team to come back with points from their trip to Limpopo where they play Venda Football Academy (VFA) on Tuesday in a GladAfrica Championship clash at the Thohoyandou Stadium (3pm).
On the opening match day of the league this season, these two teams played to a goalless draw. Now, they will meet again for round two and they are chasing different goals as the season reaches a finale.
Jonny Ferreira's VFA side are contenders to secure a spot in the promotional playoffs as they are in fourth place with 38 points while Bartlett's team are pushing to finish as high as possible having escaped the dangers of relegation. They are in 11th place.
Spurs travel to Limpopo carrying a bit of form and momentum, having won their last game against Pretoria Callies.
“Following our 1-0 win victory over Pretoria Callies, we've had enough time to prepare for Venda Football Academy,” Bartlett said.
“The result for us against Callies was good in the sense it was at home. It also really kick-started our last part of the season, which is really important for us to climb further up the table.”
Bartlett is aware that the match will be a difficult one as they will be going up against a VFA side known for their defensive ability and for turning the Thohoyandou Stadium into a fortress. They have only lost once this season at the stadium in the GladAfrica Championship.
The former Bafana Bafana striker says they have been plotting a way to get a goal against the robust VFA defence and to get points.
“We know it's going to be a tough game, they are a team that's been consistent through the season,” said Bartlett.
“They're very defensive, they do not concede a lot of goals. For us it has been to train and practise certain attacking options, as to how we can open Venda Football Academy.
“Knowing a clean sheet goes a long way, I think it's going to be a priority against Venda, making sure we don't concede. We're going to give ourselves the chance of getting a result, we are going to do everything possible to get points from the game,” he said.