Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker was basking in the delight of his team’s success over Orlando Pirates as they got their DStv Premiership campaign off to a successful start on Saturday, hailing the work ethic of his players.

Antonio van Wyk got the only goal of the game as the Winelands club proved solid in defence and held off a rampant Pirates attacks for a 1-0 victory.

“One of the ethos of our club is our work ethic, team unity and positivity, accountability, responsibility and authority. It all those vessels,” Barker said as the club began the new campaign on a winning note.

“We showed that with the shift that the players put in, the tactical discipline, the tactical awareness that we applied, especially without the ball, which I thought was really good.

“We knew that they would have a lot of possession and would move the ball around well, which I thought they did. But we held our defensive structure really well. And we obviously looked dangerous on transition. That was always going to be the key element in us getting one over Pirates.”

Barker said now the focus would switch immediately onto their next league game in Polokwane on Wednesday and then the weekend’s MTN8 tie against SuperSport United.

“The challenge is always making sure that the same type of work ethic and sort of attitude and discipline that we showed, we need to carry through to the next game.”

Stellenbosch played with a new centre back pairing who helped them to keep a clean sheet

“I was really proud of both Thabo (Moloisane) as well as Ismael Toure, who got the man of the match award and I thought it was well deserved. We've always really wanted a centre back that had that sort of presence and that sort of physical attributes and the quality and so when he was available, we went and got him. It was a big, big signing for us. I think Thabo is also really quality footballer, calm and a good leader, a good communicator on the field of play. It was one of our Achilles heels last season that we conceded too many goals and it is something that we need to be improving on. To have kept a clean sheet against a really good team like Pirates was testimony to good debuts. I thought Genino Palace had a really good debut as well,” Barker added.