Cape Town - Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has admitted the mid-week defeat to Orlando Pirates has been "a bit of a reality check".
Stellies had enjoyed a dream 11-game unbeaten run in the Dstv Premiership prior to the 3-0 mauling at home by the Buccaneers.
“Unfortunately, our unbeaten run had to come to an end,” said Barker. "It was not a good performance and a bit of reality check," Barker said.
Despite the first defeat of the 2021/22 campaigb, Barker's team still finds themselves in a lofty second position on the Premiership table.
They therefore cannot waste too much energy on the Pirates defeat as the chasing pack are closing in, starting with newcomers Royal AM on Sunday in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Premiership newbies have not only turned heads off the field through their charismatic owner Shauwn "Ma Mkhize", but are just three points behind Stellies on 18 points in sixth position. Furthermore the home side has played one game less than Barker's charges.
“These things come to an end and you just have got to take it on the chin and move and start a new run. At the end of the day I have to start looking ahead to Sunday’s game. It is back to the drawing board and we've got a big game on Sunday."
Royal AM, though, are also smarting from a defeat in their last league encounter to the in-form Sekhukhune United.
Although "Ma Mkhize" posted on social media after the game that "You win some, you lose some" and that "I want you to always remember that true sportsmanship is when you can take a lose, the same way you can take a win!!! We are still in this together bafana bami", the Royal AM players will know they cannot afford a second consecutive loss as their owner is not known to be a very patient individual.