adminThe day belonged to hat-trick hero Milton Ncube while rookie Ozias Zibande capped the afternoon with a debut goal for one of Bosso’s biggest wins in recent years.
The match started on a lively note with the Kelvin Kaindu-coached black and white striped boys showing clear intentions of winning, and win they did, sending a clear message about their intentions this year.
“We got what we wanted and my boys played according to the brief we gave them. I feel we could have scored many goals judging by the number of chances we created,” said Kaindu in a post-match interview.
His counterpart, Wishes Shiridzinomwa, blamed lack of fitness in his players as the main reason why they lost by such a huge margin.
“The play was fine but we succumbed to lack of fitness as we started our preparations very late. We will, however, definitely survive relegation,” said Shiridzinomwa, who took over from Misheck Chidzambwa.
With some people still trickling into the stadium, Ncube did justice to a miscued kick from the impressive Mthulisi Maphosa 10 minutes into the match to let loose a dipping volley that gave Blue Rangers goalkeeper Tapiwa Zvaita no chance at all. It was a goal of absolute top class quality. In fact all his three goals were classy.
Seven minutes later, hardworking skipper Innocent Mapuranga failed to use his vast experience when he seemed to panic after finding himself face to face with Zvaita who should be given credit for blocking the ball.
By then Tshilamoya were already on song and two minutes later, they came charging again, this time dreadlocked Bhekimpilo Ncube could not believe it when his shot grazed paint off the cross bar with the vociferous Soweto stand already up on their feet.
In the 23rd minute Graham Ncube was hacked down on the edge of the box and young Honest Moyo took the responsibility. The young man wasted the chance when he blasted his effort into a forest of legs from the Blue Rangers wall.
The second goal came in the 27th minute with Maphosa again being the provider. The lanky former Monomotapa skipper laid the ball for Ncube who toyed around his marker, Paul Marazanye, before lofting the ball to the far post from the 12-yard box that gave Zvaita no chance at all.
The last attack of the first half fell to Bhekimpilo who, however, blasted his effort way over the bar.
Blue Rangers upped their game in the second half, especially after the introduction of the vastly experienced Elliot Matsika, who came in for Effort Kopeni. They started taking some control of the midfield area as Matsika’s combination with captain Bernard Bvumbwe gave Highlanders a torrid time.
With Highlanders having two midfielders, Peter Moyo and Simon Munawa, who are good only when in possession of the ball, the visitors kept charging but their efforts came to naught everytime they faced the Eric Mudzingwa and Mapuranga marshalled central defence.
Seeing that a direct attack was just but a futile move, Blue Rangers resorted to diagonal passes that cut across the field instead of going forward.
In their only shot on target in the entire match, Talent Munetsi’s cross was saved by Ariel Sibanda with Matsika waiting to pounce on any spill.
Former Highlanders striker Vincent Nzombe was introduced on the hour mark for Ephraim Gwiliza but he failed to justify his presence.
Graham uplifted the Highlanders supporters in the 69th minute when he scored with a bicycle kick after a solo run by Bruce Kangwa, who had come in for Bhekimpilo.
Kaindu then made a double substitution, bringing in junior graduates, Arnold Ndiweni and Ozias Zibande, for Munawa and Milton respectively.
With just four minutes into the game a through pass was released by Graham for Zibande who ran into the box and managed to poke the ball past Zvaita.
“For me to score on my debut for Highlanders means a lot,” said a clearly excited Zibande after the match.
Teams
Highlanders: A Sibanda, E Mudzingwa, A Musasa, H Moyo, M Maphosa, P Moyo, M Ncube (O Zibande 76th minute), B Ncube (B Kangwa 53rd minute), G Ncube, I Mapuranga, S Munawa ( A Ndiweni 76th minute).
Blue Rangers: T Zvaita, T Mpangu, C Boroma, P Marazanye, C Dickson, B Bvumbwe, E Kopeni (E Matsika 46th minute), S Hadebe (T Mparaganda 76th minute), T Munetsi, E Gwiliza (V Nzombe 60th minute), T Ushe.
Weekend Results
Black Mambas 1, FC Platinum3; Chicken Inn 0, Gunners 0; Hwange 4, Quelaton 3; Motor Action 0, Harare City 0; Highlanders 4, Blue Rangers 0; Dynamos 3, Hardbody 0; Shabanie 0 Caps 0; Buffaloes 1, Monomotapa 1.
Online Reporter