Bosso edge FC Platinum

against a tactically disciplined FC Platinum at Barbour­fields yesterday.
Masimba Mambare struck a beauti­ful dipping volley in the 23rd minute from inside the box that beat a static Tafadzwa Dube in goal for the visitors.
He had received a telling pass from Graham Ncube, himself a beneficiary of good thinking by the gangly Bhekimpilo Ncube who beautifully chest passed the ball to him before Gra­ham pushed the ball once and spotted Mambare lurking on the blind side.
Within a flash, Mambare ghosted behind Qadr Amin and was face to face with Dube and in the next second, Bar­bourfields was in a delirium.
“That goal from the blind side cost us the match,” said a dejected FC Platinum coach Tendai Chikuni after the match.
Highlanders were the first to ask questions in the goal area when Heri­tani Masuku, clearly the best player on view of the afternoon, found himself on the edge of the box and his well timed crossed missed the right goal post angle by inches.
The visitors, to their credit main­tained composure and kept their cool and in the seventh minute, Dumisani Ndlovu was adjudged to have fouled the hard running Donald Ngoma just out­side the box and referee Masakadza Makonese  rightfully awarded the visi­tors a freekick. Upstepped Zephaniah Ngodzo whose shot found Ariel Sibanda well positioned.
Ndlovu came in for the suspended Eric Mudzingwa. For Mudzingwa, his presence is ever felt but yesterday, it was clear that even his absence is indeed felt.
FC Platinum were probing the Bosso goal area once more and a mistake by Bhekimpilo, saw Ngoma getting posses­sion of the ball and in a flash, he let loose a bullet from outside the box and again Sibanda was in no nonsense mood.
Highlanders could have gone ahead in the 20th minute when a mistake by goalkeeper Dube off a curling freekick by Bruce Tshuma saw Amin clearing the ball from the line with most in the stands already up in celebration.
A quick counter attack by Bruce Kangwa in the 23rd minute found young Knox Mutizwa on the far right who rode two tackles from the FC Plat­inum defenders before squaring the ball to Bhekimpilo who chested it to Gra­ham and whose pass to Mambare opened the scoring.
In the 28th minute, visitors’ skipper Daniel Vheremu, who also had a good game let go a pile driver from just out­side the centre circle which however went over the bar.
Not to be intimidated, Bosso were back in the visitors’ final third and this time a Kangwa cross was met first time by Mambare whose shot went agonis­ingly wide with Dube at sea.
Highlanders’ game then slowed down as the visitors suddenly found themselves enjoying more passes, espe­cially on their left flank, whenever Ngoma was in possession. Their undo­ing though was that Ngoma’s crosses  found no one on the right side of the field. Dreadlocked Charles Sibanda was also a constant threat to the High­landers defence with his flashing runs and shots at goal.
Dangerous as they were living, Bosso hung on to their slender lead until half time. In the second half Bosso gaffer, Kelvin Kaindu made a substitution, bringing in Beavan Chikaka for Gra­ham in an effort to add more punch upfront but Chikaka did little to justify his coach’s faith in him.
Ten minutes after the break his coun­terpart Chikuni made a double substi­tution, pulling out Manondo and Ndi­weni for Joel Ngodzo and Michelle Katsvairo. The duo’s introduction meant Highlanders were kept on their toes as Chikuni’s boys pushed for that elusive equaliser that would also have effectively handed the title to Dynamos.
There was a scare four minutes before full time when substitute, Katsvairo fell inside the box under chal­lenge from the towering Ndlovu but both referee Makonese and first assis­tant Bernard Matenga seemed not con­vinced.
Ironically the same officials were in charge of the reverse fixture at Mandava Stadium in which Bosso won 3-1.
A minute before full time, a sucker punch nearly came from the visitors when a freekick from the edge of the box saw Charles selling a dummy to Highlanders goalkeeper, Sibanda, who went with him airborne only for the ball to reach Vheremu whose free header trickled across the face of the goal and into touch for a goal kick.
“It feels good to collect maximum points from a team as good as FC Plat­inum but once again, we created so many chances which we failed to con­vert and that is worrying. The race is still on though,” said Kaindu.
A dejected Chikuni blamed missed chances for their defeat and blasted his players for that.
“If you can not do basics in football you certainly cannot win matches. We had Highlanders cornered for the better part of the game but still failed to bury the chances that came our way. Credit though goes to Highlanders for their performance,” said Chikuni who said they gave their hosts too much respect in the opening 30 minutes.
FC Platinum are still looking for their first goal at Barbourfields Stadium against Highlanders.

Teams:
Highlanders: A Sibanda, B Tshuma, B Kangwa, D Ndlovu, I Mapuranga, M Maphosa, H Masuku, K Mutizwa (O Zibande 70th minute), G Ncube  (B Chikaka 49th minute), B Ncube (P Moyo 61st minute), M Mambare
FC Platinum: T Dube, D Veremu, Q Amin, W Manondo ( J Ngodzo 55th min), A Sadiki (A Gahadzikwa 80th minute), T Kamusoko, Z Ngodzo, C Sibanda, W Ndiweni (M Katsvairo 55th minute), R Muduviwa, D Ngoma.