High-flying Highbury ready for tough clash against Cloud 9

THRIVING Port Elizabeth football side Highbury's coach Garth Dickinson says struggling Cloud 9 will feel their wrath in an Eastern Cape ABC Motsepe League match at the Gelvandale Stadium tonight at 7pm. All 16 teams affiliated to the league will be hoping to collect maximum points this weekend in the last matches of the first round to strengthen their log positions going forward.

Dickinson said the match against Cloud 9 would be tough because the visitors were also determined to collect three points to move away from the bottom of the league table area.

For Highbury, lying third on the log, a victory against Cloud 9 will see them move up to the No1 position provided other top teams, log-leaders Mthatha Bucks and second-placed Tembu Royals falter.

The home side, Highbury are trailing Bucks by one point while they are tied on 29 points with Royals but with goal different from 14 games.

"We are ready with our game plan for this clash and our attack will be based on their weakness and strengths.

"We need to score more goals because the goal different against Royals on the log table is killing us."

Dickinson said they would not put pressure on their strikers but every player should know the team's target in the league.

Meanwhile, Motherwell football outfit Real City have issued a stern warning to Tembu Royals to brace themselves for a flight back to Mthatha tomorrow empty-handed.

The two sides will battle it out in an Eastern Cape ABC Motsepe League match at the NU2 Stadium in Motherwell, starting at 5pm.

City coach Bonke Namba said the players were ready for the game but a disadvantage would be the poor standard of the pitch.

City are 10th on the log table with 18 points from 14 games.

He said the team's target was to accumulate 20 points before the end of the league's first round and to be in the top eight bracket at the end of the season.

"It will be a hell of a tough match for us. Royals have been doing incredibly well this season but we will shatter their league title hopes.

"We also need the maximum points to better our position on the log standing hence it won't be easy for them to walk all over us at home."

Namba said the team was on the right track and they would need to fight harder to get maximum points against Royals.

He urge fans in Port Elizabeth to come out in their numbers to support City tomorrow.

Another Port Elizabeth side competing in the provincial ABC Motsepe League, Morning Stars will adopt a ruthless approach against on-form Angavu Stars at the Dumpy Adams sports ground in Queenstown tomorrow at 3pm.

The 11th-placed Morning Stars have 12 points from 14 games, while Angavu Stars are lying fifth.

The Kwazakhele-based semi-professional football team are under tremendous pressure to win after they failed to accomplished their mission of finishing the league's first round in the top eight. -