Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
Hwange . . . . .. . . .(1) 2

Chapungu . . . . … . . .0

RED-hot Hwange produced a blistering performance to bring high-flying Chapungu crashing down to mother earth with a thud after an evenly contested Castle Lager Premier League match at the Colliery yesterday.

The airmen came into the match with their tails up after goring fellow servicemen Black Rhinos 3-0 in their last match but Hwange, who trooped into the duel licking their wounds after a 4-1 whacking by leaders Ngezi Platinum, had other ideas as they came with guns blazing from the first whistle.

At the end of the day, a well taken header by anchor man Collen Muleya on the stroke of half-time and another one by substitute and new boy Delic Murimba nine minutes from full time after donning a Hwange shirt for only three minutes meant new coach Bigboy Mawiwi maintained his perfect home record in his tenure at the helm of the Chipangano technical bench.

Mawiwi presided over a 4-0 clobbering of Tsholotsho in his first game.

Hwange started off at a cracking pace and pinned the airmen in their own half with their first realistic chance coming on the quarter hour mark after enterprising right back Crispen Dickson’s teasing cross was flicked onto the path of a well-positioned Muleya by Crybert Muvuti only for the lanky Muleya to sky his effort from a few metres out.

The threat by the hosts temporarily jolted Chapungu into some life as they launched their first raid in the 26th minute through winger Tinei Chitora, who unleashed a screamer from the edge of the box after a swift counter attack.

But Hwange goalkeeper Taimon Mvula was up to the task as he fisted the effort back into play before an alert Gerald Ndllovu hooked the ball to safety.

Two minutes later striker Patrick Khumbula was allowed a free header but his effort sailed inches over the bar.

Hwange then regained the momentum and started accosting the Chapungu goal for a breakthrough which came seconds before half-time after the overlapping Dickson sent in a delicate cross, which was met with a glancing Muleya header that nestled into the far post to stun the visitors.

It was only Muleya’s second goal for Hwange having last scored in August 2015 in a 1-0 win over Chicken Inn at Luveve.

Chapungu were not given a chance to regroup as Chipangano started the last half in the same menacing manner and could have added another one three minutes after the restart only for big goalkeeper Talbert Shumba to produce the save of the afternoon by denying Justine Kaunda from a one-on-one situation with a fingertip save. All hopes for Chapungu to salvage anything out of the game wilted into the simmering Hwange heat as nine minutes from time substitute Murimba grabbed the much needed cushion goal barely three minutes after he had come in for Kaunda in the 78th minute.

Meanwhile, substitute Maxwell Mawuna scored a late winner that helped Triangle edge a fighting Bantu Rovers 1-0 in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Gibbo yesterday.

A minute of silence was observed before the start of the match in honour of one of Triangle’s staunch supporters Chipo Dekete who died in the Lowveld after a short illness and coach Taurai Mangwiro dedicated the win to her.

“It was a sweet victory for us because they beat us one nill in our third game of the season and today I would like to dedicate this victory to our late sister Chipo who was a well-known supporter in Triangle circles, she passed away on Friday and was laid to rest and with this victory we say may her soul rest peacefully”, said Mangwiro. The visitors started the match fired up, striker Marvin Sibanda hit the post after eight minutes with goalkeeper Chris Mverechena a well beaten man.

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