adminVISITING Black Mambas yesterday earned three priceless points when they dispatched hosts Shabanie Mine in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League at Maglas.
A first half goal by Kasimero Chimbadzwa gave Mambas the lead before Tarisai Rukanda evened the scores for Shabanie.
Luckson Kaisa then struck the goal that made the difference in the second half as the police side collected maximum points on the road while Shabanie coach Arnold Jani required a police escort as fans bayed for his head.
The deadly Mambas inflicted yet another injury to the miners after collecting maximum points in their first encounter at Morris Depot that they won 5-1.
Shabanie still have nine games to play at home and judging by their performance yesterday they have an uphill task to survive relegation.
Chimbadzwa saw his effort crashing against the crossbar with goalkeeper Roy Mazingi badly exposed after eight minutes of play.
Sensing danger Shabanie, who looked cautious, became offensive and had an effort cleared from the line by defender George Chikweva with the Mambas goalkeeper Didymus Chakabva on the wrong end of the action.
But it was Mambas who took the lead when Innocent Nyoni won the ball on the right and charged towards goal before he laid it to Chimbadzwa, whose ferocious kick from the edge of the box silenced the home crowd in the 19th minute.
The goal gave the home team some urgency and they equalised five minutes later.
A corner kick from Tawanda Mareya saw the former Highlanders striker Tarisai Rukanda outjumping the Mambas defence to place the ball past the goaline.
Rukanda was, however, denied a brace when Chakabva saved his goalbound shot in the 31st minute.
After the breather Shabanie got a golden chance in the 49th minute but Junius Chizororo blasted his effort to the skies with only the goalkeeper to beat. Another effort from Caleb Masocha in a goal-mouth melee was cleared from the line by the alert Mambas defence in the 55th minute and after that miss the Shabanie world crumbled.
Chimbadzwa sent a ball into the box that Luckson Kaisa placed beyond the reach of Mazingi in the 63rd minute.
Mambas coach John Ncube was pleased with the win and said Maglas was no longer a fortress after all.
“I am very happy to have collected maximum points over Shabanie.
“Maglas is no longer a fortress for them. My boys played according to instructions. We wanted to hold them for the first quarter the attack them and it worked very well for us.
“Shabanie resorted to long balls instead of a passing game and their players struggled so much and collecting six points from them is very sweet,” said Ncube.
Shabanie coach Arnold Jani rued the missed chances.
“My guys played very well but we failed to score,” said Jani.
Teams:
Shabanie Mine: R Mazingi, R Mwale, J Chitereki, W Ngonya (L Chisunga 85th), S Shoko, T Mareya (T Mombeshora 74th), J Chizororo (M Mageja 56th), T Rukanda, B Dimanji, A Nyoni, C Masocha
Mambas: D. Chakabva, L Mapuya, G Chikweva, T Magaisa,I Nyoni, L Kaisa, F Banda,L Jere, T Chingwerume, S Mutizirwa (T Maganga 86th),K Chimbadzwa.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter