Durban City FC put up a gritty performance in a 0-0 KwaZulu-Natal derby draw with Richards Bay at the Richards Bay Stadium on Sunday.
On an evening which brought tough conditions in terms of the wind, the Durban side weren’t able to carve out many chances in front of goal, but did well at the other end to keep the hosts off the scoresheet.
City had found themselves on the front foot early on after kick-off with a couple of sniffs at goal; but those were no more than half chances really, as Trevor Mokwena had a shot blocked by a defender at the near post before the same player sent a header wide from a corner, from a difficult angle.
The hosts then began to play their way into the game with a couple of surges up field around the 15-minute mark, but when called upon, Durban City keeper Darren Keet was solid in goal.
For the most part the contest was fast and physical, with regular injury breaks as both sets of players gave 100 percent on the derby platform.
Towards the end of the first stanza, Richards Bay put the Citizens under sustained pressure which required some focussed defending to keep the score locked at 0-0 going in to the interval.
With the conditions increasingly blustery after the restart, both sides struggled for rhythm, while maintaining intensity; which meant that goal scoring chances were at a premium.
The first opening arrived in the 66th minute as Richards Bay combined in the box before Lindokuhle Zikhali fizzed a half volley narrowly over the crossbar.
Moments later Zikhali threatened again for the hosts as his low shot from 20-yards out took a deflection and was heading goalwards, until Keet came to the rescue with a superb reflex save to tip the ball wide.
More opportunities arose for the hometown club as Gabadinho Mhango toe-poked over from in front of goal before being denied by another sharp reflex save from Keet – and a subsequent goal-line clearance by Terrence Mashego.
Durban City then had a good chance of their own when Richards Bay goalkeeper Ian Otieno failed to hang onto a cross, the ball falling to Athini Jodwana, but his snap shot on the half-volley flew over in the 86th minute.
The closing moments of the game again saw Richards Bay putting the Citizens under pressure, head coach Gavin Hunt and the technical team though able to watch on as City held firm to secure the point.
