HERMAN GIBBS
Not too long ago, the fear of relegation was driving Cape Town Spurs to stage a dramatic upturn in results, and it seemed it was only a matter of time before the side would move off the bottom of the Premiership log.
However, the tale of triumph has given way to a trail of heartbreak of late and the spectre of relegation has returned to haunt coach Ernst Middendorp’s team.
At the start of February Spurs surprised all and sundry after they enjoyed back-to-back Premiership wins over AmaZulu and TS Galaxy. Against all odds, Spurs followed that feat with two impressive draws against top-three sides Orlando Pirates and high-riding neighbours Stellenbosch.
This spate of results allowed the 16th-placed Spurs to close the gap considerably between themselves and the 15th-placed Richards Bay who had a record of three defeats and a draw during the corresponding period. By this stage, Spurs (12 points) had a realistic chance to leapfrog Richards Bay (14 points) on the log.
At the first opportunity, Spurs slumped to defeat against Swallows (March 31). Another opportunity beckoned on April 3, but they lost to Chippa United. Equally worrying was that Spurs failed to score in both matches.
To add to their misery, Richards Bay had a win over Swallows at the weekend and opened a five-point gap between themselves and Spurs.
A glance at the upcoming fixtures does not inspire confidence because Spurs would need to produce huge upsets. Tonight, Spurs host log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who are still unbeaten after 19 matches and are likely to ride roughshod over the basement dwellers.
Later this month, Spurs will be away to fourth-placed Sekhukhune United, who have been in terrific form in 2024. Under coach Lehlohonolo Seema, Sekhukhune enjoyed a remarkable February and March. Sekhukhune won five out of five matches, scoring 11 goals and only conceding three.
With their exciting, free-flowing style of football, they defeated Richards Bay, Golden Arrows, Royal AM, Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates.
It’s hard to see Spurs picking up points from the Sundowns and Sekhukhune matches, which means their relegation-saving act will be left to their last six Premiership matches.
Of course, the relegation-saving act can be taken out of their hands if Richards Bay continue to pick up points as the season winds towards its end.
If that happens, Spurs will face automatic relegation at the end of the season.