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Ray Bande in Mutare
MANICA Diamonds coach Jairos Tapera was a dead man walking when he came for Sunday’s Castle Lager Premiership match against Chicken at Sakubva Stadium in Mutare but his team’s triumph by a solitary goal was all that was needed to save his job.
As the season got into its fifth round of league matches, the Mutare Premiership outfit collected its first set of maximum points in a match that their opponents – Chicken Inn – lost for the first time, having won once and drew on three occasions.
Coming into yesterday’s match, Manica Diamonds lost two matches and drew in as many matches.
The hosts showed determination to take the game to their opponents from the first whistle with a series of raids but their strike force lacked the cutting edge in front of goal.
Speedy Manica Diamonds winger Gerald Bero created a scoring opportunity when he dribbled past Xolani Ndlovu and flighted a beautiful cross that top man Fortune Bhinzi
Ndlovu had a torrid afternoon with Bero as he had to pull him down just outside the box after being left for dead again in the 19th minute.
The resultant free kick saw Farai Banda directing his shot well over the crossbar.
As the clock ticked and Chicken Inn were struggling to penetrate their opponents’ last quarter and started sending long shots from the third quarter such as midfielder George Majika’s 31st minute powerful strike that, however, lacked precision as the ball went way off the target.
Manica Diamonds had a perfect scoring chance in the 40th minute when striker Tawanda Macheke intercepted a back pass and charged towards goal, did well to dribble past defender Itai Mabunu but the Manica Diamonds striker failed a goalkeeper to beat situation as Bernard Donovan summoned his goalkeeping prowess to deny the host the lead.
Manica Diamonds came back after the breather with the same tempo and were only unlucky not to get the opening goal.
Exciting right back Lawrence Masibera came close to breaking the deadlock in the 54th minute after connecting teammate Bero’s corner kick but the header missed the target by inches as it went over the crossbar.
With the lack of goals, fans suddenly found a hilarious moment when two balls were on the field of play for close to a minute in the 69th minute, leaving many wondering whether the match officials were indeed capable of using the communication gadgets that were hanging on their ears.
Resilience finally paid off for coach Tapera’s team in the 72nd minute when lively second half substitute Micheal Tapera raced into the box from the right with the ball firmly under his control and tapped a low cross that found no takers as the ball rolled across the face of goal but Bero who was on the other end sent it back only for Tapera to shove it home from close range to give his team the lead and only goal of the match.
The goal, which appeared to be clear to many neutrals, did not go down well with the Chicken Inn technical department whose kit manager Guide Goddard was shown a red card for protesting by referee Lawrence Zimondi.
Manica Diamonds assistant coach first assistant coach Tafadzwa Mashiri said the victory gave the club a huge sigh of relief for the club.
“This was a hard fought triumph. We are happy to have finally collected our first set of maximum points. Things were not really good for us and I am happy that we managed to deliver.
“We played well from the onset of the match and we created many scoring chances to the extent that we could have won this match with a wider margin,” he said.
Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas was a livid man after the match.
“I think I agree with Lloyd Chitembwe when he said PSL is now comic because of poor officiating. What I cay the poor match officiating is disappointing. From the first whistle we were in trouble.
“Even if you look at the goal they scored, the ball went out and referee says play on until they scored. This is just atrocious,” said the former Motor Action gaffer,” he said.
While Chicken Inn felt hard done by the referee their post-match protests, which resulted in a red card being flashed on the face of , were primarily needless for a club of their caliber.
Manica Diamonds:
Godfrey Chitsumba; Lawrence Masibera; Farai Banda; Tawanda Chisi; Nigel Mupunduki; Tubelihle Jabulani; Jefrey Takunda; Bret Amidu (Kudzanai Dhemere, 75th minute); Gerald Bero; Tawanda Macheke (Micheal Tapera, 51st minute):
Chicken Inn:
Bernard Donovan; Live Augusto (Obert Malajila, 60th minute); Lincoln Mangaira; Itai Mabunu; Danny Phiri (Tadiwa Chibunyu, 75th minute); Joseph Thulani; Micheal Charamba Elshamar Farasi, 73rd minute); Innocent Muchaneka (Genius Mutungamiri, 73rd minute); George Majika (Itai Makopa, 60th minute); Xolani Ndlovu; Arthur Chinda:
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