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Impressive Tendai Ndoro scored the all important goal in the 29th minute and the Gamecocks hung on for dear life for the next 61 minutes.
“All I can say is that I am happy we collected maximum points,” said an elated Adam Ndlovu, the Chicken Inn head coach.
In a match that can be described as a tale of two halves, Ndlovu’s boys dominated the first segment with Moses Chunga’s boys taking charge of the second half although they did not utilise the chances that came their way.
It was, however, the visitors who almost opened the floodgates in the second minute through Sebastian Mutizirwa whose shot from the edge of the box was punched back into play by Njabulo Nyoni, in goal for the home team.
In the sixth minute, Ndoro had the ball at the back of the net but his effort was ruled out for offside with his colleagues already celebrating. Ndoro was a menace to the Black Mambas defence the whole 90 minutes.
A minute after his goal, he was asking questions again in the Learnmore Jere goal area but his bicycle kick was deflected for a corner kick which was however wasted.
Chicken Inn kept on charging forward but could not find the target until the end of the first 45 minutes.
A second half substitution by Ndlovu in which he pulled out Thabani Goredema for Julius Daudi and later Walter Mukanga for an otherwise impressive Guide Goddard did not work according to plan as Black Mambas started dictating the pace.
After pulling out Goddard, Ndlovu pushed back Danny Phiri to anchor with Mukanga taking over Phiri’s role of playing behind the two strikers Evans Chikwaikwai and Leneance Mpofu.
Mukanga simply did not come to the party resulting in the strikers being starved of clean balls, at the same time putting the defence, marshalled by stand-in captain Felix Chindungwe, under a lot of pressure.
“Sometimes some of the substitutions that we make do not work according to plan,” said Ndlovu after the match.
For Chunga though it was yet another bad day in the office and once again back to the drawing board even though his charges had a better showing in the second half.
“We might have controlled proceedings in the second period but that counts for nothing if we do not convert our chances. We conceded a silly goal though,” said Chunga.
Teams:
Chicken Inn: N Nyoni, M Jackson, D Phiri, E Chikwaikwai, L Mpofu (T Chimenya 78th minute), T Goredema (J Daudi 46th minute), T Ndoro, G Goddard (W Mukanga 59th minute), B Mbiriri, F Chindugwe, B Dube
Black Mambas: L Jere, S Mutenheri, K Chimbadzwa (T Rantokoani 66th minute), N Alifandika (J Zhuwawo 66th minute), K Kapikinya, B Nyahunzvi, P Madziro (T chinungo 60th minute), F Banda, T Muswere, S Mutizirwa, P Kachirika
Online Reporter