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Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
Hwange ……………………………..0

Chicken Inn……………………(1) 1

COALMINERS Hwange were left with more questions than answers over what has gone with their home form with the players, management and fans all wondering what has hit them at the Colliery.

This came after yet another home defeat for Chipangano at the hands of Chicken Inn, who found their winner via the effort of Chris Samakweri in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie yesterday.

The distraught home side all seemed to be asking the same questions: “Is our team under a curse or have the football gods turned their backs on us and want us to endure agony every time we play at home?’’

Hwange have now gone for 270 minutes of action without a win at their once feared home ground and to add salt to their woes, they are yet to score a goal! And that Chicken Inn could come from a home loss to Black Rhinos in midweek and start their rehabilitation with a win in Hwange yesterday left the soccer-crazy coal-mining community with many questions than answers.

Chicken Inn, who came into the match bruised were first to settle down in the match and could have grabbed the opening goal inside the first minute had seasoned striker Obadiah Tarumbwa not shot wide from inside the box under no challenge.

On the quarter hour mark, defender Guide Goddard almost put the Gamecocks ahead when he unleashed a stinging free-kick from the edge of the box, which was acrobatically tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Taimon Mvula.

Hardly two minutes later goal scorer Samakweri benefited from a sitter by Tarumbwa at the edge of the box only for him to watch in agony as his curled effort whisked past the right upright with Mvula diving in vain.

That seemed to be a wake-up call for the hosts as they started launching forays into the Chicken Inn half with their moves revolving around Justine Kaunda. Kaunda came charging from the right flank in the 35th minute but his deadly raid came to naught after Thabani Goredema heroically scooped the ball out of danger.

On the stroke of half time, the world crumbled on Hwange when a well worked move involving man of the match Thomas Kadyaridzire and Tafadzwa Kutinyu saw the latter lay the ball on for Samakweri on the edge of the box and the former Monomotapa and TP Mazewmbe man obliged with a hard and low shot which went through a forest of legs into the far corner past a diving Mvula.

Hwange fans must have started fearing for the worst after the goal as Chicken Inn started the last stanza with some purposeful attacking football. Three minutes after the breather Goddard was up to his usual threat when he again unleashed another trademark free kick which again drew the best out of an alert Mvula.

Hwange started fighting back especially after the introduction of Collen Muleya and Muli Jimu for Oscar Lungu and Kaunda respectively but their huffing and puffing for a breakthrough wilted into thin air thanks to some resolute defending by Moses Jackson and Divine Lunga up to the final whistle.