'I said to him I would slap the living daylights out of him‚' says McCarthy

Benni McCarthy admits his over-riding feeling is one of relief after his Cape Town City side picked up a first win in five games as they defeated Free State Stars in an Absa Premiership clash at the Athlone Stadium on Wednesday.

The fixture was settled by a Taariq Fielies goal five minutes from tine‚ with City just about deserving the win on a bumpy pitch that made flowing football difficult.

McCarthy says his side’s latest victory feels better than the six wins in a row that started his tenure with the team.

“Massive relief …. I don’t think I have been this relieved‚ even when I won the best awards in my [playing] career‚” McCarthy said.

“The six games we won means absolutely nothing compared to this game today.”

McCarthy says he was pleased to see his side play with more aggression and purpose than had been evident since they lost the MTN8 final to SuperSport United last month.

“I asked them to have a bit more desire‚ as a team it is all good when we have fun and joke and that‚ but when it comes to matches‚ that is what had been missing since the [MTN8] final‚” he said.

“So I was trying to ask the guys‚ if they get this unity and desire back‚ the quality is undoubtedly there. We just could not concentrate previously because we did not have that desire we showed today.”

The City players and bench celebrated the winner like they had just won the World Cup final‚ with Fielies heading straight for McCarthy to envelop him in a bear hug.

“I have been telling him since he arrived‚ he is from Salt River‚ he has to have that toughness in him‚” McCarthy said of Fielies.

“He is a hard tackler‚ very aggressive in defence‚ and he has to be like that in attack.

“Every single game I am on his case that I think he goes in too soft-hearted and today I said to him I would slap the living daylights out of him if I don’t see that aggression and desire.

“He has gone in there and put his head where it hurts. It fell kindly for him and he smashed it in the corner.”

McCarthy praised the overall determination shown by his side.

“The guys showed a lot of grit.

"It is not easy trying to play well and win games when you have lost four games in a row. Mentally it drains you and it frightens the living c**p out of most of the players … me included.

“The pitch did not allow us to play the best football‚ both teams tried to attack‚ but I think we in general controlled the game fairly well.”

City go into the three week break in third on the Absa Premiership log‚ but McCarthy says any talk of a title challenge must be put on hold for now.

“One step at a time‚ we won’t get ahead of ourselves.

"Let me just stop sweating for winning for tonight and get that gorilla that was sitting on my shoulder off me. We will just continue rolling and fighting.

“We need the break because the games were really thick and fast and it never felt like we had breathing space.

"It’s just nice to go into this break knowing that we have a win under the belt and are sitting in a nice position on the log‚ even after our bad patch.”