adminHIGHLANDERS punished wasteful Tripple B when they came back from behind to snatch victory in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Mandava yesterday.
Bosso got their goals from Njabulo Ncube in the 53rd minute, veteran midfielder Mthulisi Maphosa 69th minute and Cleopas Dube who rose from the bench to punish the wasteful hosts in the 79th minute.
The Beitbridge-based team scored through the former Dynamos pair of hardworking Alick Marime in the 46th minute and Timire Mamvura in added time.
Tripple B should put the blame on their wasteful strikers and a schoolboy blunder by goalkeeper Donald Mutali who gifted the Bulawayo giants with two goals.
Mutali who found himself in the starting line up having been a second choice did not help matters as he brought Beavan Chikaka down in the box and Kwekwe based referee Munyaradzi Majoni who had a good afternoon rightfully pointed to the spot and also flashed a yellow card to the goalminder.
Former Railstars hitman Njabulo Ncube took the responsibility when he sent his effort to the right with Mutali diving to the left.
Seventeen minutes later Maphosa who had a quite game by his standards scored the second goal for the visitors from a corner kick from the right by Bruce Kangwa. Dube then put the scores beyond the reach of Tripple B when he was sent through by hardworking Ncube and drilled the ball past hapless Mutali.
Tripple B had earlier on gone into the lead when former Dynamos and Underhill striker Marime reacted faster to a cross by Maxwell Mavhuto and powered a header past goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya. Diya however, ensured Bosso remained in the game by making some fine saves especially in the first half.
They were the better team of the day and they won many hearts among the neutrals with their passing football.
As early as the 11th minute Webster Chingodza found himself face to face with Diya but he headed wide from a Givemore Fireyi cross. On that occasion it was harder to miss than to score.
Simon Maengeni was then sent through by Marime after they caught Bosso on a counter attack but the striker instead of shooting at goal opted to dribble past Highlanders defender Dumisani Ndlovu but slipped. Highlanders assistant Bhekithemba Ndlovu coach was happy with their display.
“We are not worried about how we play. Even if we play bad football it is ok with us as long as we get maximum points” Ndlovu said.
Phiri who had promised fireworks conceded defeat and blamed the penalty and the missed chances.
“It was another bad day in office for me. I must admit that I have played big guns and that is Dynamos, Highlanders in a space of three days. We gave Bosso a soft penalty and that was a silly mistake by the goalkeeper. We also failed to bury our chances,’’ Phiri said.
Teams
Tripple B: D Mutali,G Fireyi,O Chove (C Mwinja 76th ),S Dube,T Mamvura,W
Chingodza, L Chiwaridzo (A Kazembe 83rd ),M Mavuto (P Makanje 76th ), A
Marime,S Maengeni.
Highlanders: M Diya,L Nkomo (C Dube 65th ),B Kwangwa, D Ndlovu, I
Mapuranga, H. Madzivanyika (P Moyo 86th ),M Maphosa, B Ncube, S Munawa, N
Ncube, B Chikaka.
Online Reporter