JDR Stars head coach Nditsheni Nemasisi says there's no room for error if they want to find themselves in the promotion playoff places in the GladAfrica Championship come the end of the season.

The Pretoria side will resume their league campaign after the international break with a trip to Polokwane to take Polokwane City on Saturday at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium at 3pm. 

JDR Stars are third with 38 points. Richards Bay are first with 40 points while second-placed University of Pretoria have 39 points. Teams such as Cape Town All Stars and Venda Football Academy, who both have 37 points in fourth and fifth, also the top spot in their sights. 

With seven games left until the season concludes, Nemasisi has emphasised that they can't take their foot off the accelerator. 

“We come from a frustrating spell of five games. At least we won the last one against TS Sporting. We didn't relax during the international break, we had friendlies lined up to keep the squad active before we play Polokwane City away, another difficult game,” said Nemasisi. 

“Hopefully, we'll keep the momentum going and not drop points and stuff. It's very critical that we focus. I don't think when you drop now, you'll be able to recover. The games are becoming lesser and lesser.”

JDR Stars are in their third season in the second tier of SA football. With every passing season they have grown in stature, establishing themselves as one of the ball-playing sides in the league. They have had steady finishes, grabbing seventh in the first season and sixth in the second. 

Now, they look to be on course to better those finishes and fight for promotion, and that can be credited to their experience in the league.

Nemasisi has warned his players not to stumble at the final hurdle in the battle for promotion, like Cape Town Spurs and Richards Bay have done in past seasons. 

“The experience we have had in the past two seasons has taught us at this time you can't drop points. We have seen the likes of Spurs and Richards Bay dropping at the wrong time.”

Fixtures (all 3pm)

Friday: Cape Town Spurs v Pretoria Callies, Athlone; Tshakhuma v Free State Stars, Thohoyandou Stadium.

Saturday: Polokwane City v JDR Stars, Old Peter Mokaba; Venda Football Academy v Platinum City Rovers, Thohoyandou; Richards Bay v Cape Town All Stars, King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium. 

Sunday: Uthongathi v Hungry Lions, Princess Magogo ; University of Pretoria v TS Sporting, Tuks Stadium; Black Leopards v Jomo Cosmos, Thohoyandou.