It was a dark midweek for KwaZulu-Natal teams as the Premier Soccer League rug was pulled from under their feet. Because of their current form, it was always expected Maritzburg United would drop points against Free State Stars on Tuesday. The manner in which they fought back each time was a kernel of positivity for caretaker coach Fadlu Davids.Three points was what they needed, but Stars denied them a point through a late winner from Robert Sankara.Their task does not get any easier with a trip to Mpumalanga to face Black Aces at KaNyamazane Stadium on Sunday.Aces were not at their best on Wednesday against Golden Arrows, but they were still full value for their 2-1 win.A very fit Collins Mbesuma bagged a brace as the Arrows defence struggled to cope with his abrasive physicality and precise finishing.Muhsin Ertugral struggled to hide his delight with the form of the mercurial finisher. Against a defensively suspect Maritzburg side, Aces will need Mbesuma at his best to ensure they drill home their advantage and stay in the top three ahead of the Cup period and the international break."We are working very hard with Mbesuma behind the scenes and individually with the players. The player, though, needs to show initiative and that's what Mbesuma has been doing. He has been fantastic, especially with his spinning and pace training, and he's ambitious now," Ertugral said."We always look for the three points, which is why I was upset with the Orlando Pirates result, because we had the capacity to do that. There's been a change of coach at Maritzburg and they should be a better team, even though they're in an unlucky situation."Davids did not share Ertugral's optimism, and the "Reluctant One" seems to view the Aces game with a lot more trepidation.The last vestiges of Maritzburg's defensive empire painstakingly built by Steve Komphela have disappeared, but there was some improvement in their attacking play."Aces are doing very well. They're a very compact and organised team under Muhsin. We know it's going to be a tough game, especially when things have not been going your way, even though you've been trying to do the right things. The guys just have to persevere and keep fighting. I hope the reward will come on Sunday," Davids said...