adminTobias Mandoreba in Hwange
Hwange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Bulawayo City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
VISITING Bulawayo City halted their three-match losing streak in the Castle Lager Premier League championship race with a morale-boosting victory over the coalminers who again put up a nightmarish performance at their once feared Colliery Stadium to leave their set of fans a disappointed lot yesterday.
City trooped into the match against a backdrop of losses to Harare City, CAPS United and Dynamos while Hwange were expected to do better, especially after sharing the spoils with CAPS United at Rufaro last weekend.
However, the football gods had other ideas as all the expectations by the vocal Chipangano fans wilted into thin air courtesy of a well-taken 16th minute goal by Sipho Ndlovu who pounced on a loose ball inside the Hwange box to power a thunderous volley which hit the roof of the nets, leaving young goalkeeper Future Sibanda rooted to the same spot.
The goal was the right tonic for the match which had a slow start as four minutes after the opener City almost doubled their tally after a lovely move involving ageless striker Mhkokheli Dube, Innocent Kutsanzira and goal scorer Ndlovu ended with him shooting lamely into Sibanda’s waiting arms from close range.
The coalminers started fighting back for an equaliser and could have gone level in the 25th minute after a swift counter-attack which came to nought after in-form goalkeeper Liberty Chirava summoned all his reflexes to smother a full-blooded Innocent Mucheneka effort from the edge of the box.
With the hosts pouring forward for the all-important breakthrough, it was City who almost grabbed their second goal five minutes from the breather only for Ndlovu to shoot wide from a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper as the coalminers defence had surprisingly switched off at a crucial time.
Hwange again thanked their lucky moments before the half-time whistle as veteran Dube’s 35-metre volley took an awkward bounce past goalkeeper Sibanda to whistle past the left upright by a few inches with a clearly beaten Sibanda diving in vain.
Three minutes after half-time Hwange goal-minder Sibanda prevented further agony for the miners when he raced out of goal to block another Sipho Ndlovu effort to grab a brace from close range after the visitors had started the last half with their tails up.
From there on the home side virtually camped in the City half and launching attack after attack only to find the City rear-guard of goalkeeper Chirava and defence quartet of Lewis Ncube, Brian Chikwenya, Peace Tshuma and Zibusiso Sibanda in an uncompromising mood.
Hwange thought they had got the equaliser in the 70th minute from the boot of left back Munyaradzi Mungadze only for first assistant referee Melody Ncube to signal to the match referee Nkosana Nduna that the lanky defender had fouled Chirava in the build-up to the goal to seal another forgettable afternoon for coach Mebelo Njekwa in front of the home crowd.
Njekwa was close to tears after the match.
“I am at a loss of words honestly. When you have a chance to go seventh on the log and you lose at home in this manner then it’s a big problem. It seems each time we play at home there is a dark shadow surrounding us,” said a visibly dejected Njekwa.
His opposite number Philani “Beefy” Ncube was on cloud nine.
“Thumbs up to the boys for the good show especially coming from three losses in a row. They did not panic and I am happy for them and we will continue fighting to avoid relegation as we are still work in progress,” said a smiling Ncube after the match.
Teams
Hwange: F. Sibanda; P. Dube; M. Mungadze; G. Ndlovu; A. Tshuma; C. Muleya; F. Vimisai; I. Mucheneka; G. Mbweti; P. Zimunya; A. Banda (G. Zulu 55th minute)
Bulawayo City: L. Chirava; L. Ncube; B. Chikwenya; N. Mukumbi (P. Tshuma 10th minute); Z. Sibanda; I. Kutsanzira; X. Moyo; S. Ndlovu; M. Dube (T. Chimenya 80th minute); E. Mandiranga; F. Kuswatuka (H. Ncube 55th minute)
Online Reporter