Steve Barker revels in special 100th win with Stellies and ending Orlando Pirates’ perfect run

After a tough week of travels on the continent, Stellies were forced to dig deep and scored a first-half goal on the counter through Bafana Bafana’s newly capped attacker Devon Titus just after the half-hour mark.

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The win has taken Stellies to the top three on the log, six points behind Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, who are locked on 21 points. Barker reserved some special praise for his players.

''Obviously, we are a team that is already good on transition. Once again it showed with a ball into Ashley, a good pass in behind and a good finish. We got the got that we wanted. These Stellenbosch players never cease to amaze me in terms of their courage, their bravery and desire and their unity and togetherness.

We come from a difficult week, traveled Sunday and only arrived on Friday in Cape Town, and had to travel again yesterday to play against a team that has won seven in a row, to get a results like this today - all the credit has to go to the players and the effort that they put in and my assistant Wesley Sergel who is a tactician of the team and they way we set up the team was superb. Well done to the players, a massive victory for us, back to back wins at the Orlando Stadium. I believe it is my 100th win as a coach of Stellenbosch, and to do it here in these circumstances - it is very special,'' said Barker.

Barker also had a special mention for referee Philangenkosi Khumalo’s officiating in the game, which he compared to the match officiating in the CAF Inter-Club competitions.

With 19 games already played in the space of four months this season, Barker is happy with the progress of his team against big opponents all around.

''You are 100% correct, the amount of games we have played this season I think they are about 19 already. Obviously we played in the MTN8 against Sundowns, and in the final against Pirates. It is allowing the players to grow quickly and to learn quickly. Want to give credit to the referee today he allowed the game to flow. And credit to Orlando Pirates, it is not easy for a team to win eight games in a row, today was just not their day. But we're taking lessons, as long as we learn quickly and take lessons on days like today - it will help us continue to grow,'' added Barker.

A draw would’ve been enough for Pirates to reclaim the top spot on the log, but head coach Jose Riveiro says they are ready to compete against the log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns team, he calls a points machine.

''We have the same number of points, the goal difference right now is pulling us up and down - it's only eight games, we have to play 30 games. As a group we know how difficult it is going to be, how difficult it is to win each and every game. We want to compete and want to be there until the last game, that is the time we will analyse. We are not frustrated at all, it was the first defeat today. I am preparing for the next one, and I can tell you that this group is going to fight until the last game,'' said Riveiro.

With Pirates competing in five competitions this season, Riveiro says it’s still too early to be bothered about being displaced at the top of the log and says there’s still lots of football to be played this season, and the league race is going to be tighter than the previous seasons. The Spanish-born coach says the important part is to run their own race.