Milford coach Xanti Pupuma says everything is now in their hands, with the KwaZulu-Natal side set to play two crucial home matches in the PSL promotion and relegation playoffs.
Milford moved to the top of the mini-league standings after beating Cape Town City 1-0 in the opening playoff match at Athlone Stadium on Tuesday.
They will now watch closely to see how City respond to the defeat when they travel to face Magesi FC, who finished 15th in the Betway Premiership to qualify for the playoffs, on Saturday.
Milford will then host Magesi at the Umhlathuze Sports Complex on 3 June before welcoming City to the same venue three days later. They will conclude their playoff campaign on 13 June.
According to Pupuma, those home fixtures could prove decisive.
“Now the onus is on us because we have two home games. It’s about how we handle those matches,” said Pupuma.
“In this game, I think it was very exciting for the fans. I would say my team played well for about 60 to 70 minutes. After that, we realised we just had to protect what we had, and it looked like we could get something from the game.
“We opted for a low block, which worked for us. It also worked for us in Upington in the last game of the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
“So, we’ll take it.”
It has been a long season for Milford, who also enjoyed an impressive Nedbank Cup run, reaching the semi-finals before losing to TS Galaxy on penalties.
“We are going home now, and that is the most important thing,” Pupuma added.
“I think I will give the boys a two-day break. Maybe I will ask the finance department to pay them early so they can go home and spend some time with their families.
“Then we will probably come back on Friday and fully focus on the two home games.”
