After a slow start to the season, Richards Bay coach Ronnie Gabriel feels the team are turning the corner but cautioned his young side to remain grounded.

The Natal Rich Boyz recovered from a poor start to the season after a five-match unbeaten run before losing 1-4 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership.

However, they bounced back in style to winning ways to thump Chippa United 4-1 at the weekend to progress to the quarterfinal of the Carling Knockout.

"It was not the fastest of starts this season," Gabriel said.

"In our first three league games, we didn't get any positive result, but we continued to believe in the blueprint of the club, which is giving youngsters a chance.

"It was going to take time for them to acclimatise to the level of the league. We are playing with a lot of youngsters, but after the first three games, they started to come out, and they are showing that they are capable of competing at this level.

"We went on a five-game unbeaten run at some point. It has everything to do with the belief we've shown, trusting the processes, and it is slowly paying dividends."

Gabriel cautioned against complacency from his youngteam, and urged them to keep their feet on the ground and build on their momentum.

"We have to remain humble because if you score four goals in a game, youngsters can easily feel like they've arrived and think they've achieved it all," he said.

"So, we have to keep giving them those psychological lessons. All our players come from our development structures, so we have to remind them that the work is on the pitch.

"There is still a long way to go in the season. We know we are in the last eight [of the Carling Knockout], but the next game is a league match, and we must focus all our energies on the Orbit College [October 17] encounter.