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Bukhosi Mangena in BULAWAYO
How Mine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
Highlanders . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) 5
A rampaging swift counter attacking style powered Highlanders to a goal-scoring spree as they demolished How Mine in a Castle Lager Premiership encounter at Barbourfields yesterday to silence coach Luke Masomere. After a week when Masomere dominated the headlines, questioning Bosso’s pedigree and implying that they were being aided by referees, the former champions responded in emphatic fashion with their best performance of the year to destroy their noisy neighbours.

So dominant were Bosso, with quick passing and movement, they were full value for their big win.

“It is always nice to see my players enjoying their game. I realised that we were too hard on ourselves by taking football games seriously and today was an exception because I told the boys to go out there and enjoy themselves,” said Bosso coach Bongani Mafu.

“We played very well but we must not be carried away by today’s result because we are still in the relegation zone.”

The big win, however, only sees Bosso moving one place up from ninth to eighth position with 25 points, exchanging places with Chapungu, who lost 0-2 to log leaders Chicken Inn.

The game started at a breathtaking pace and Highlanders showed their intentions after just two minutes when winger Rahman Kutsanzira broke free on the left and unleashed a ferocious shot from inside the box that was dealt with by Chikurupati defender Nelson Tachi, who blocked it for a corner.

How Mine responded two minutes later following a mix-up between the Highlanders duo of Peter Muduhwa and Douglas Sibanda, who gifted veteran forward Wonder Sithole with a clear goal-scoring opportunity, but he directed his effort wide.

On fire striker Obadiah Tarumbwa jolted the Bosso fans from their seats by smartly chipping the ball over advancing How Mine keeper Benard Donovan in the 10th minute for the opener.

But the Bosso fans were silenced two minutes later by a long range Mernard Mupera special.

Mupera received the ball 30 yards out and thumped a shot that sailed into the top left corner of the goal with ‘keeper Njabulo Nyoni flat-footed.

Nyoni returned to keeping goal for Highlanders, replacing Prosper Matutu, who played in the Chibuku Super Cup last week. On the half hour mark, Bosso were forced into making an injury-forced substitution after defensive linkman Nqobizitha Masuku picked up a knock and was replaced by pre-season signing Tendai Ngulube.

Ngulube stabilised their shaky midfield enabling the creative Simon Munawa to surge forward now and again.

Munawa restored Bosso’s lead, finishing off a swift move by Tarumbwa and teenager Godfrey Makaruse. In the 36th minute. Tarumbwa grabbed his brace on the hour mark when he finished off a brilliant move involving Munawa and Knox Mutizwa.

Munawa and Mutizwa exchanged passes inside the box before Mutizwa rounded off Donovan and passed the ball to Tarumbwa for a simple tap in.

Five minutes later, Donovan gifted Bosso a goal when his fluffed clearance fell onto the path of Munawa, who found an unmarked Mutizwa to score.

Mafu introduced fan-favourite Gabriel Nyoni in the 69th minute, but the speedy forward failed to shine.

Mutizwa hammered the final nail on How Mine’s coffin two minutes from time when he scored from a Nyoni pass after being left unmarked just outside the box.