Sede Dion has literally carried Lamontville Golden Arrows on his back with his goals this season, and he will be expected to take it through the last stretch.
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With Sede Dion still the Betway Premiership top scorer as everyone gather their last strengths for the last stretch, Lamontville Golden Arrows go into their next match against Siwelele FC as feared competitors.
Arrows have worked their way into the Top 8 over the past few months and with teams like Durban City losing ground, Manqoba Mngqithi knows there’s blood in the water. Arrows are circling.
A few weeks ago, Arrows were humiliated by Orlando Pirates, but the response has been emphatic. Two wins on the bounce back, including a clinical 2-1 victory over Orbit College, have reignited belief.
Their win over Durban City before Orbit College was a much more dominant display on football, more especially, it affirmed the dynamics of power within the provincial football landscape.
Junior Dion has proved a useful asset for Arrows, 13 this season, he still leads the league's top scorers. When Arrows click, they don’t dominate possession and push the ball around with ease. Finishing though has been a shortfall for them, but their growth has been positive late season, almost as if they've received a late shot of adrenaline for the final stretch.
Mngqithi, a seasoned operator, has seen these moments before. This is where experience counts.
He’ll know that momentum now matters more than tactics, and right now, Arrows have it.
But Siwelele won’t roll over. Their recent form suggests a side that is stubborn. A draw away from home was no easy task, against any team, but they still clinched the point. There's little possibility of them finishing inside the top 8 but Siwelele have six games in hand.
Arrows don’t need necessarily control over games to win, they need a few moments. And against a team like Siwelele, one lapse, one defensive error, and Dion will be there.
If Arrows bring the same attacking sharpness from their last two games, this could be their third straight win, and a massive statement in the race for the Top 8.
Jehran Naidoo is sports reporter for Independent Media and social media coordinator of the our YouTube channel The Clutch.