KZN derby ends in goalless stalemate

Following a tough affair in the latest instalment of the KwaZulu-Natal derby, Royal AM and Richards Bay FC fired blanks in a 0-0 draw at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Wednesday night.

Richards Bay dominated play during the first 10 minutes of the encounter but did little to trouble the Royal AM backline en route to goal.

There was little to separate the two sides during the opening exchanges of the game while Royal AM seemed content to surrender the ball to the Natal Rich Boyz.

Royal AM began seeing more of the ball midway through the first half and actively searched to open the scoring at the Harry Gwala Stadium. Richards Bay, on the other hand, turned to Thabisa Ndelu and Siboniso Conco to trouble the Royal AM backline, particularly down the right-hand flank.

Thwihli Thwahla often took the game to Richards Bay and looked tidy with the ball at their feet in the middle of the park. However, with much of their play being made across the halfway line, Royal AM battled to penetrate the Richards Bay defensive department.

With neither side able to make the most of their scoring opportunities, the referee called time on the first half with the score level at 0-0.

Richards Bay put Royal AM under immense pressure during the first 10 minutes of the second half and created a couple of goal-scoring opportunities in the process. At the other end of the pitch, Royal AM summoned Sabelo Sithole and Sedwyn George from the bench to change the complexion of the game.

It was more of the same for Richards Bay after the hour mark, who often penned Royal AM back in their own half in search of an opener. However, Thwihli Thwahla sat tight in warding off Brandon Truter’s side’s attacking advances.

Royal AM seemed to have kicked into game-management mode after the 80th-minute mark and attempted to catch Richards Bay out on the break. The Natal Rich Boyz, however, sought the long ball tactic as the last throw of the dice.

Nevertheless, both sides lacked cutting edge for much of the second 45 as the game eventually ended in a 0-0 draw in Pietermaritzburg.

Royal AM: (0) 0

Richards Bay: (0) 0

Royal AM: Ngcobo, Shezi, Zulu, Manganyi, Matlaba, Magaqa, Mahlasela, Maxwele, Mpisane (George 46’), Radebe (Sithole 46’), Sera (Cele 85’)

Richards Bay: Otieno, Mabua, Mcineka, Allan, Mabuya, Ntsundwana (Figuareido 40’), Mhlongo, Mthethwa, Conco (Sibanyoni 46’), Mbuthuma (Kutumela 82’), Ndelu (Dube 65’)