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Tadious Manyepo in MHONDORO-NGEZI

Ngezi Platinum . . . . . . . . . (0)2

Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)1

DYNAMOS have been struggling to score but at least they have not been losing.

And yesterday they found a way to score after exactly six hours, 43 minutes of continuous football and they celebrated the goal wildly.

Yet, at the end they were on the losing side in this exciting Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Ngezi Platinum Stars at Baobab.

This was DeMbare’s fifth straight match without posting a win and pressure is mounting on both the technical team led by Herbert “Jompano” Maruwa and the players themselves.

The Glamour Boys opened the scoring through Donald Mudadi at the stroke of half time while Ngezi replied through second half goals by Takunda Benhura and substitute Qadr Amini.

The win propelled the Mhondoro team to the apex of the log after taking their points tally to 20. Nearest rivals Highlanders could only take theirs to 19 following a 1-1 draw against Greenfuel at Barbourfields.

Maruwa blamed fatigue for his charges’ lack of resilience after playing three games inside seven days.

“We did very well in the first half as we managed to score. But we conceded soft goals, I don’t know what happened. It’s not all that good but it’s part of the game. We have to make sure that we rectify,” said Maruwa.

“We will try to make sure that we talk to them (players) on what we need, our direction, where we want to go and where we are going.

“At the end of the day, we played three games in seven days and it affected us one way or the other.

“But we are still in it. Two of the teams who are in the race, Highlanders and CAPS United also dropped points, so we are still in it.

“The results will come. Like I am saying, we just need to go back to the drawing board and make sure that we correct the mistakes that we are committing and map a good way forward.”

After a decent first half showing in which they took the lead, Dynamos couldn’t stand a tactical masterclass by Ngezi Platinum Stars coach Takesure Chiragwi in the second half.

They were made to do all the marking as the home side dictated the pace winning most of the duels and second balls.

And Chiragwi said the strategy was to score an early second half goal to level matters, after they had conceded towards the end of the first half.

“Obviously we are happy. Like I said before the game, we are playing at home and we need to collect the maximum points and we did exactly that. It is good for us and as a team. It’s healthy for the team,” said Chiragwi.

“We managed to come back in the second half, we really wanted to win because we were playing at home. We told the boys that we needed an early goal in the second half and we managed to get one within five minutes of the restart.

“It gave us an advantage in attack and hence we got another goal. We really needed to just win. We are Ngezi Platinum and we had to show the character after going to the break trailing by a goal.

“Second half, we were winning all the tackles, all the duels in the midfield and those were the areas we were lacking in the first half. It’s a marathon, we need to win games consistently”.

The match started at a lightning pace with Dynamos asking the early questions but reigning Castle Lager PSL Goalkeeper of the Year Nelson Chadya kept the hosts in the game as he denied the guests on several occasions.

At the opposite end, Nigel Makumbe crashed his effort against the woodwork as the match opened up.

After finding Chadya in defiant mood for most of the opening half, it had to take the brilliance of Mudadi to give Dynamos the lead.

The impressive midfielder picked a ball towards the 18-yard box, looked up and unleashed a wonder strike full of venom to finally breach Chadya.

But Ngezi Platinum would rally back four minutes after the restart as Nigel Makumbe’s corner was headed in by Benhura with Dynamos’ ineffectiveness in dealing with crosses once again exposed.

Amini then sealed the points for Ngezi Platinum with an audacious chip from the middle of the park with 15 minutes on the clock. Just moments after coming on, the skipper discovered that Dynamos goalkeeper Taimon Mvula was off his line and he chipped the ball over him.

The ball hit the upright and with Mvula scrambling for ground, the ball hit his back and into the nets.

Teams

Ngezi Platinum Stars:  N Chadya, K Chigwida, G Madhake, P Moyo, M Mukumba, T Mandinyenya (V Kadonzvo, 46th minute), N Makumbe (F Madhanaga, 80th minute), L Kashitigu, W Vuwa (Q Amini, 70th minute), T Musariranwa (C Mapoka, 70th minute), T Benhura (M Kwinjo, 80th minute)

Dynamos: T Mvula, K Moyo, D Dzvinyai, E Moyo (B Mpofu, 67th minute), E Jalai, T Shandirwa, D Mudadi, A Musiiwa (J Makunike, 57th minute), T Matindife (D Mukamba, 57th minute), I Sadiki (E Ilunga, 42nd minute), N Chintuli