Orbit College and Richards Bay shared the spoils in their Betway Premiership match at Olympia Park on Saturday night, playing out a 0-0 stalemate.
The Mswenko Boys extended their winless run across all competitions to nine matches and remained in 15th place (the relegation playoff berth) on the log, while the Natal Rich Boyz have now gone six games without an outright victory across all competitions and are placed 12th.
The teams cancelled each other out for most of the opening half hour, before Bay’s Lindokuhle Zikhali came close to opening the scoring in the 28th minute, skimming the top of the crossbar with a long-range drive.
This chance seemed to inspire Orbit to step up their game, and they ended the first half strongly, with Gomolemo Khoto drawing a sharp save from Bay goalkeeper Ian Otieno in the 37th minute, while Siyabulela Mabele struck a volley just wide a short while later.
Goalless at the break, the first chance after the restart came in the 52nd minute, with Bay’s Lundi Mahala driving a shot off target.
The visitors’ Sanele Barns then began to have a greater influence over the game, and came close to breaking the deadlock in the 73rd minute with a shot from the right side of the penalty area which hit the frame of the goal.
The first substitution of the match happened a couple of minutes later, with Bay introducing veteran forward Know Mutizwa off the bench, while Orbit waited until even later to make a triple change, sending on Bradley Ralani, Atisang Batsi and Mbulelo Wagaba in an effort to wrestle the game their way in the dying stages.
In fact it was the visitors who almost claimed a later winner, with Moses Mthembu crossing from the right to find Mutizwa, but the substitute was unable to direct an effort on target in the 89th minute.
The teams will be back in Betway Premiership action in the coming midweek, with Richards Bay at home to Kaizer Chiefs and Orbit away to TS Galaxy, both on Tuesday, 3 March.
Orbit College 0
Richards Bay 0
Orbit: Chibwe, Mkhabela, Mphahlele, Onyango, Jingana, Potsana (Lesako 90+2’), Motshwari, Mabele (Mahlangu 90+2’), Khoto (Wagaba 84’), Kapinga (Batsi 84’), Lukhele (Ralani 84’)
Bay: Otieno, Sikhakhane, Sbangani, Mcineka, Mntungwa, Mthethwa, Gumede, Mthembu (Tuli 89’), Zikhali, Barns (Ngema 89’), Mahala (Mutizwa 75’)