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Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
Hwange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
Harare City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
HARARE City learnt in a cruel fashion that in football you get punished if you play good football and fail to convert chances that come your way as they narrowly lost to the coalminers in this Castle Lager Premier league encounter played under simmering temperatures at the Colliery yesterday. The Sunshine Boys outshone their opponents for the better part of the match especially in the opening period but were punished by substitute Gilbert Zulu in the 71st minute to leave them travelling empty handed back to the capital after a match they played with so much determination and flair.

The ageless Zulu, who had replaced Talent Chamboko in the 58th minute, pounced on a spill by goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube after he found a scorcher by Zulu’s fellow substitute Newman Sianchali too hot to handle with an easy tap in from close range. Zulu scored on the second attempt as the visitors defence momentarily slept on duty which left Dube heavily exposed. Harare City had started the match in a blistering manner as they virtually camped in the Hwange half with Talent Chawapiwa and Kudakwashe Kumwala harassing the coalminers rearguard at will. Barely a minute into the duel, Nathan Ziwini was allowed acres of space at the edge of Hwange box before he unleashed a screamer which found goalkeeper Takabva Mawaya alert.

The Sunshine Boys were not done as in the fifth minute speed merchant Martin Vengesayi held his head in utter disbelief as his ferocious grounder was pushed out for a corner by Mawaya. Hwange got an opportunity on the quarter hour mark when midfield kingpin Rodwell Chinyengetere and Zimbabwe U-23 left-winger Pritchard Mpelele exchanged some lovely passes in the Harare City half only for the former to blaze his effort over the bar.

The visitors were to threaten again in the 25th minute after a blinding move involving Vengesayi and Chawapiwa ended with Vengesayi’s rocket of a shot again drawing the best from Mawaya who kept his team in the contest with a string of important saves. The story was the same as the last half roared into action as Harare City again were denied by Mawaya who bravely fisted a blistering Chawapiwa free kick from the edge of the box three minutes after the breather.

The coalminers then started to spring to life in the last half hour of the game as the visitors started showing signs of tiring under the high temperatures. Left back Munyaradzi Mungadze got a big opportunity to put the miners ahead in the 62nd minute when a curling and beautifully taken Tonisani Sibelo free kick found him unmarked inside the box but he surprisingly skied his effort from a few metres under no challenge. Harare City again slept on duty five minutes later when another Sibelo trademark cross eluded them only for David Boriwondo’s flashing header to crash against the cross bar with Dube a beaten man.

The writing was on the wall as in the 71st minute Zulu deservedly punished the visitors’ defence for laxity as they did not react after Dube had spilled Sianchali and Zulu’s initial shot leaving him with all the time to follow up and stab the ball home from close range . Taurai Mangwiro’s boys then huffed and puffed for an equaliser which never came as Hwange defended for dear life to register a third victory on the trot as the coal embers engulfed Whawha (3-0) and Chicken Inn(1-0) before yesterday’s triumph. Hwange goalkeeper’s coach Chenjerayi Dube was elated with the result. “It was a tactical match as you realised that in the first half they were coming at us but we knew they would not last and we duly punished them and it’s a good run for us as it is the third win in a row.” said Dube. Mangwiro blamed his defenders for the defeat. “We had a rare lapse in concentration in our defence and Hwange punished us. I would also like to commend the match referee for some wonderful officiating worth mentioning, I have no complaints, we failed to wrap up the game especially in the first half.” Mangwiro said.

TEAMS:

Hwange: T Mawaya; T Sibelo; M Mungadze; D Boriwondo; G Ndlovu; A Tshuma; T Chese; T Chamboko(G Zulu 58th min); A Marime(N Sinanchali 64th min); P Mpelele; R Chinyengetere

Harare City: T Dube; N Diro; A Chivheya; T Ndlovu; G Chimwemwe;R Uchena; N Ziwini(F Zekumbawire 64th min); M Vengesayi; W Manondo; K Kumwala(H Chimutimunzeve 86th min); T Chawapiwa(B Maglasi 72th min)