Premier league chase heats up: Boksburg wins, CBC edged
The battle for Easterns Local Football Association (ELFA) Premier League glory is heating up.
This is after defending champion Alberton’s struggles continued on Saturday, July 11, when they were beaten by league contenders Birch Acres, 2-1.
This home win sees Birch Acres still in with a shot to claim league honours next month.
Alberton, who looked like they were well on their way to defending their championship when they set the pace during the early stages of the season, now occupy a rather surprising seventh position on the log standings.
Instead, it’s been Boksburg who have recently assumed the pace-setting duties from Alberton.
The Blues have put together a winning run – mostly consisting of away matches – and their most recent 2-1 win at Springs Old Boys helped maintain their six point advantage over their closest chasers, Zwide.
Both sit on 34 and 28 points respectively, with 15 matches played.
A tricky match against Birch Acres is next on Boksburg’s calendar on August 1, before an all-important meeting with Zwide seven days later – a clash that could offer a clearer direction to the title’s destination.
Boksburg neighbours, CBC Old Boys, have been enduring contrasting fortunes on their travels.
Glenn Brierley’s men went down 2-1 against Impala – a result preceded by a 4-0 hammering in the hands of Gold 1 Aces.
Asked about the team’s struggles, CBC skipper Evan Partridge responded: “It’s been a tough season up to this point. Continuity and consistency of player availability has been a major problem this year with us barely fielding the same team in the same positions two weeks in a row.
“This being said, we still back the guy that plays that position on the day and it’s no excuse for our poor form. It’s been one of those seasons so far but we will still look at the positives.
“We have bought some new members into the club which is good for CBC Football club and are still looking to grow the club further.
“We are still in the cup draw which is our main focus at this point. We will keep trudging on and hope we can string a couple of good performances together as the season comes to an end.”
ELFA action goes into a week’s recess and returns on August 1. – @SabeloBoksburg
