Chicken Inn rule the roost

CHICKEN Inn flew to the top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League after beating struggling Shooting Stars 4-1 at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
The hosts got their goals from Canaan Nkomo who scored a brace, strikers Qinani Sibanda and on song Thomas Chimenya.
Chicken Inn’s security details were denying Chronicle Sports and other sports writers entry into the stadium until the Premier Soccer League chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele came to their rescue 20 minutes after kickoff.
In the 24th minute, Nkomo received a pass from former Bantu Rovers midfielder Danny Phiri and sent a volley that deflected off a Shooting Stars defender and went on to beat Pedzisai Gumiremhete.
Speed-merchant Sibanda made it two for Chicken Inn five minutes before half time as he cleverly beat his marker in the box before hitting a shot that Gumiremhete had no chance to save.
It was arguably the best goal of the day.
Nkomo completed his brace in the 67th minute when he swiftly reacted to poke home a spilled ball by Gumiremhete who had failed to clutch onto a Tendai ‘Kid’ Mukambi shot from the right.
Shooting Stars defender Charles Mutero got the consolation goal for his team when he headed home a James Chitereki corner kick in the 78th minute.
Chimenya put the game beyond the reach of the visitors on the stroke of full time when he outpaced George Karimupfumbi and Maxwell Karimanzira to head the ball past an advancing Gumiremhete.
Credit should go to Chicken Inn’s goalkeeper Liberty Chirava for his team’s fourth goal as he made a quick clearance that bounced once before Chimenya headed over Gumiremhete.
It seems Chicken Inn’s strategy for the day was to let the visitors enjoy more possession and then get them on counter attacks.
Shooting Stars enjoyed lots of ball possession especially in the midfield where they had Karimupfumbi and Elliot Matsika but they could not break the Herbert Dick-marshaled Chicken Inn defence.
Chicken Inn’s assistant coach Adam Ndlovu praised his boys for the victory and said they would continue working hard.
“We are happy that we are now on top of the log standings.
“But we won’t celebrate much because there are so many games to play. We are now a team to beat but we have told the players to focus on each game as it comes.
“Credit goes to the players. We are here for one cause which is to win, we are improving with every game that we play,” said Ndlovu.
Teams
Chicken Inn
L Chirava, F Mvula, G Majoni, S Banda, H Dick, F Chundungwe, T Chimenya, C Nkomo, H Masuku (P Makanje 86th minute), D Phiri (T Goredema (60th minute), Q Sibanda (T Mukambi 60th minute)
Shooting Stars
P Gumiremhete, C Mutero, T Muyendi, M Karimanzira, E Chimusoro (L Banda 19th minute), M Muneri, T Chioreso, G Karimupfumbi, E Matsika, S Chiota, J Chitereki.