The battle of the debutants in the Hollywoodbets Third Division takes centre stage when Seaside Spurs host Camps Bay FC (13:00) at the Ocean View Sports complex on Saturday afternoon.
Both Seaside (pictured above) and Camps Bay have been slow out of the starting blocks with one victory a piece which sees them occupying the 10th and 17th positions respectively.
The irony is that a win for Dougie Carelse’s Camps Bay (3 points) would see them draw level with Seaside (6 points) which is an indication that the log is very tight despite the gap of seven positions between the newbies.
Camps Bay assistant coach Ashraf Calvert acknowledged that they did not expect to be in the position that they are but cited various factors for their slow start.
“Look, we never really had a full-strength squad in all of our previous five games to be quite honest,” Calvert told No Bones with Jones. “We always had situations where this player or that player was working and also it was exams which meant that a lot of our Unders weren’t all available.
“Last week two of our boys said – on matchday – they had to leave for the bush so we were always hampered in terms of a really competitive squad,” he added.
According to Calvert everything should be smooth sailing from the new year onwards when they would have recruited some experienced campaigners who will definitely “add value and strengthen the squad.
“Our home ground should also be available to our disposal as we have swapped our (home) fixtures for now,” Calvert explained.
“In fact, I think it should be available by 9 December which bodes well for our players as it is important you play at your designated home field.”
Meanwhile, Seaside’s coach, Gerald Stober, anticipates that the team will put in another good performance.
Obviously we want to take advantage of playing at home to maintain the momentum gained from recent outings,” Stober said. “Securing our first three points was a long time coming and honestly it’s a small reward for the players for the hard work put in.
He added, “I’m not overly concerned about our league position as we’re in the midst of a project. This is all part of the process. As long as we continue to play attractive and attacking football with purpose, adhering to the essence of the game, then I am pleased.”
