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Ricky Zililo in BULAWAYO
Highlanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
Bulawayo City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
HIGHLANDERS might have failed to replicate the poetic football they have been exhibiting lately, but they managed to bounce back to winning ways, putting a halt to Bulawayo City’s three-match winning streak in this Castle Lager Premiership match at Barbourfields yesterday.
Bosso, who have been displaying beautiful football of late under coach Baltemar Brito, had a fine start but fizzled as the game progressed.
Backed by a good crowd that expected to witness their team score plenty of goals as has been the norm lately — Highlanders scored three goals in each of their last two home games when they beat Black Rhinos 3-2 and Manica Diamonds 3-0 — the Bulawayo giants, by their own admission, were lukewarm.
However, the victory pushed Bosso three places up the ladder to position six with 33 points, leaving coach Brito satisfied with the result.
“Congratulations to Bulawayo City, they proved why they have won three games in a row, if they continue like that they can survive relegation. Our players gave everything, sometimes you don’t play well but you win.
“In our opinion, we started well. We didn’t concede, but in the second half they came a different side, but in the end it was three points for us. We did not have a perfect game but we won. When we faced Whawha we didn’t deserve to come out with nothing but we lost. Today we did not play so well but we won,” said Brito.
Highlanders took control of the game from the first whistle, with their man-of-the-match Divine Mhindirira stealing the show with sublime displays.
Bulawayo City’s Crispen Machisi took one for the team to avert danger in the seventh minute as he brought down Mhindirira who was charging towards goal on a quick counter, and referee Prince Mathumo, who had a good game granted Bosso a freekick and booked Machisi.
From the resultant freekick, Highlanders’ central defender Mbongeni Ndlovu couldn’t direct his header off a Bukhosi Sibanda cross on target.
Highlanders got a deserved lead through in-form Godfrey Makaruse, who had the simple task of tapping the ball into an empty net in the 11th minute. Bosso striker Lynoth Chikuhwa had done well to cut in front of Dominic Jaricha, before raising his head to spot left back Makaruse who had made a run into the box from the blindside.
The goal seemed to spur Makaruse, who was playing with confidence, as he tried a 14th minute long attempt, missing the target by inches.
Bosso were turning the heat on City, with their defensive midfielder Cedric Chinomona struggling to contain Bosso’s central midfield pair of Divine Mhindirira and Bukhosi Sibanda.
City coach Farai Tawachera noted that Highlanders were penetrating through the middle before assigning seasoned central midfielder Welcome Ndiweni and Melikhaya Ncube to double anchor, pushing Chinomona upfront.
City’s first attempt at goal came in the 27th minute when striker Dalubuhle Dlodlo shrugged off a challenge from Mbongeni Ndlovu before unleashing a shot that went across the face of goal without troubling Highlanders goalie Ariel Sibanda.
City tried to press for an equaliser but found Bosso disciplined at the back, with Chinomora’s 40th minute snap shot going wide.
Two minutes later, City won a free-kick on the edge of the box, with the Highlanders wall doing well to deflect a Wilfred Munorwei freekick.
City finished the first half the better side and returned from the breather much composed but they could not find the equaliser.
Both teams tried to open each other up in the second half, but goals eluded them.
City’s central defender Mpumelelo Bhebhe rose high to clear at the goal-line a Bukhosi Sibanda lob in the 60th minute to keep the score-line respectable.
City’s coach Tawachera felt they deserved at least a point.
Online Reporter