Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango in Shamva
ONE swing from just inside the halfway line.
That’s all Dynamos needed.
Frank Agyemang spotted William Thole off his line and didn’t hesitate, sending a long-range effort sailing over the Simba Bhora goalkeeper in the first-half stoppage time at Wadzanayi yesterday.
It was a goal that settled everything.
Thole had gone five games without conceding. Dynamos had never beaten Simba Bhora here. Both records went in one moment.
DeMbare held on for a 1-0 win, their momentum building quietly but surely.
The goal came minutes after Dynamos had let Simba Bhora off the hook. Jairos Kasondo stepped up from the spot in the 42nd minute after Witness Shave was brought down by Webster Tafa, but he couldn’t convert.
It didn’t matter in the end.
Agyemang made sure of that, reacting quickest when the ball broke loose and catching Thole out with a strike that had intent written all over it.
Simba Bhora came out for the second half pushing for a way back.
They had their moments.
Claude Mapoka forced Tatenda Makoni into a sharp save in the 53rd minute, and substitute Ndereki also went close as the home side pressed.
But Dynamos stood firm.
Makoni kept his line tight. The defence held shape. And when spaces opened late on, Dynamos nearly killed it.
Agyemang almost had a second in the 86th minute, his effort crashing against the crossbar, before Simba Bhora scrambled clear with Leroy Mavunga waiting to tap in.
Dynamos coach Genesis Mangombe walked away satisfied, but measured.
“We understand that we play for Dynamos. Whenever you play for this club, you want to win,” he said.
“So at times when you are consistent like this, I think it shows that we have some positives. What we need to do is consolidate on the good things we are actually doing, that is, collecting maximum points.
“We will try and tell the team that it’s still only game one. We have a lot of games to go, so we need to work very hard. We need to make sure that in every game, we are better than the previous one.”
He pointed to Agyemang’s goal as something they work on.
“Frank got it very good, catching the goalkeeper off his line. I am happy with that. It means he was moving with the play, seeing that the goalkeeper was offline.
“After winning that ball, he got his shot away and it was a goal. The thing is, at training we always say we need to be alert all the time.
“We should have maybe buried them too if Leeroy was on his toes. So at times you need to be alert and make sure that you respond to the demands of the game in every situation.”
Simba Bhora coach Mandla Mpofu felt his side deserved more, but admitted the difference.
“There was good football today from both sides, which was good for our fans, and I think they really enjoyed it,” he said.
“We conceded for the first time, but I thought we had a better performance, especially in the second half.
“We had two good opportunities. I thought we could have done better, two one-on-one chances, but we pulled back.
“Again, I spoke to the boys about how this would be a game of mistakes, our mistakes. I think we have done better in terms of service, but again, a brilliant goal from Dynamos.”
The win takes Dynamos to 14 points, just one behind leaders CAPS United, who edged Manica Diamonds at Rufaro. Simba Bhora remain on nine.
Teams:
Simba Bhora: W Thole, W Tafa, N Tsabora, T Chipunza (T Mandinyenya 87’), B Ncube, A Silla (S Damaseb, 66’), L Chaziya (K Eib, 44’), I Nyanhi, N Tigere (B Ndereki, 66’), C Mapoka, T Naweseb (H Masina, 66’).
Dynamos: T Makoni, C Nettey, A Gwatidzo, H Chapusha, C Mujuru, T Pio, P Chikwende (L Mavunga, 72’), S Nyahwa, W Shave (S Billiat, 72’), J Kasondo (M Mlilo, 85’), F Agyemang (E Njini, 90+4’).
