Stellies coach Steve Barker says he won’t let their final-day slip-up against Richards Bay ruin what was a superb season for his team.
A draw on the final day of the PSL season against the 15th-placed Natal Rich Boyz would have been enough to give Stellies second place and a spot in the Caf Champions League. But they lost 2-1 and were leapfrogged by Orlando Pirates.
Barker, though, tells the club’s website: “That’s not going to take away from a fantastic season, having reached two semifinals, won our maiden trophy, and qualified for Africa [in the Conferation Cup], but we fell one hurdle short at the end of the day, ending equal on points with a team like Pirates.
“It is disappointing, obviously, as we had wanted to finish in second position...
“We want to be playing against the elite. But as I said, we won the Diski Challenge, we won a cup, and we’ve made Africa, so we can’t allow the last few games to detract from what we’ve done since the first day of the season.”