Richmond Ladies are turning their fortunes around

RICHMOND Ladies slid into the top eight of the National Women's Soccer League over the past weekend on the back of a single goal against Mahikeng’s Golden Ladies.

The central Karoo team has shed its status as the whipping girls of the national women’s league. The combination of a new team sponsor in the form of the renewable energy company Longyuan Mulilo Wind Projects and an experienced coach such as Edwin “Motale” Lisene has helped the club turn the corner in the league.

Sunday’s win at home against Golden Ladies was the club’s third victory out of seven games played this season. Richmond United are sitting pretty at log position seven with 10 points after the club has seemingly also found its scoring boots.

The league log indicates that they have netted 14 goals against all opponents while they conceded 16 in all. This puts them a mere nine points adrift of the log leading team Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies who have 19 points from six wins out of seven games played.

Very impressed

The Richmond United coach commented yesterday that he was “very impressed” with the showing of the lone goal heroine Huilda Xaba who netted for her side a mere quarter hour into the first half.

Lisene, who swapped Bloemfontein for Richmond, said his team’s performance was at about 70 percent of what he hopes to achieve this season. He was, however, impressed with the all round improvement achieved thus far. “We score regularly now against our opponents, unlike last season when we struggled to make it to the opposing posts. We now just have to learn to keep the back shut,” he told the DFA.

The karoo team might likely hold on or boost their top eight posting when they next host Durban Ladies FC at their artificially turfed homeground in Merino Park at the eastern end of De Aar town.

They will travel to the Western Cape for a clash against University of the Western Cape FC (UWC) on the 19th of this month.