Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler believes winning ugly is part and parcel of what makes an Absa Premiership title-winning side, and trusts his squad to see their targets through. The Citizens maintained their place at the league summit in midweek after their last-gasp 3-2 win over rivals Kaizer Chiefs, although they could surrender that position to Mamelodi Sundowns, who play one of two games in hand tonight, against Golden Arrows.

However, Tinkler is more concerned with focusing on his own side’s outcomes and believes the current crop have what it takes to go all the way in the race for glory. “I think the spirit [amongst the players] is phenomenal,” the coach said. “We always look like we’re going to score, even when we’re playing good or bad, we still create chances. “I think that’s important and sometimes you’re going to win games with good performances and sometimes you’re going to win games with poor performances, and I do believe you can win leagues like that.”

Tinkler also stressed the importance of keeping his squad fresh and his players avoiding suspension in the final few games, with four players currently on three bookings each at this vital stage of the campaign. When asked how he plans to cope with the potential loss of personnel, the coach admitted he would need to continue rotating his squad, saying: “We stated that from day one: it’s a long season and the squad that we have, somewhere along the line everyone is going to have to come in and do a job. “We can’t play with the fear of pushing and picking up a yellow and not being there [for the next game through suspension]. [Vincent] Kobola, he’s been on three [yellows] now since the beginning of the season, but we can’t play with him,” the coach joked. “If he [Kobola] picks up the fourth one [yellow card], somebody’s going to have to come in and do the job. And the players themselves have responded.