adminRicky Zililo in BULAWAYO
Chicken Inn…………..1
How Mine………………0CHICKEN Inn coach Joey Antipas heaved a sigh of relief as his side finally remembered to win ending their six-match win-less streak yesterday.
The Gamecocks’ last victory was in Week 12 when they beat Hwange 1-0 at the Colliery with Thomas “Mahinya” Chimenya, who was on the terraces yesterday, scoring the solitary goal at the coalmining town in June.
And yesterday they completed a double over the coalminers at Luveve.
With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Chicken Inn forward Ishamel Lawe rose high to connect with a flashing header a perfect cross from Passmore Bernard in the 84th minute.
“This is really a big relief especially after a bad patch that we have been going through. Pressure was beginning to pile up but I believe that this victory came at the right time.
“Hopefully, this is the beginning of better things to come and we have to continue fighting for maximum points,” said Antipas.
The first half belonged to Hwange and with a bit of luck they could have buried the Gamecocks with Brian Mbiriri of Chicken Inn doing well to throw his body on the line to block Gilbert Zulu’s ferocious goal bound effort in the 10th minute. Three minutes later, Hwange’s towering defender David Boriwondo’s header, off a Farayi Vimisayi corner kick, missed the top corner by a few inches.
On the half-hour mark Rodwell Chinyengetere’s speculative long-range shot took an awkward bounce and almost embarrassed Chicken Inn’s goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze who fumbled the ball before pushing it out for a corner.
Chicken Inn’s first half real scoring chance came two minutes before the breather when Bhekimpilo Ncube found Lawe who took long to shoot at goal leaving Boriwondo to clear to safety.
The second half saw Chicken Inn taking the game away from Hwange, forcing the visitors to play long balls something that bothered Chipangano’s coach Nation Dube.
“The goal we conceded came as a result of a lapse of concentration. We didn’t play well today as Chicken Inn forced us to play long balls instead of the passing game that we are used to. We had our chances but failed to convert. We just have to go back home and work on our shortcomings,” Dube said.
Teams
Chicken Inn: E. Chipezeze, P. Bernard, M. Jackson, L. Mhlanga, B. Mbiriri, B. Juru, T. Banda (T. Mukambi, 65th min), C. Matawu (T. Goredema, 84th mine), B. Ncube, M. Dube (L. Chibwiro, 80th min), . I. Lawe
Hwange: T. Mawaya, P. Dube, D. Boriwondo, G. Ndlovu, M. Mungadzi, A. Chuma, T. Chamboko, N. Siwela, R. Chinyengetere, G. Zulu, F. Vimisayi (N. Siyanchali, 75th min).
Online Reporter