adminSikhumbuzo Moyo
Chicken Inn (1) 1
Shabanie Mine (1) 1
CHICKEN INN shot to the top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League log standings in a rather unfashionable way after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Midlands side Shabanie Mine at Luveve Stadium yesterday. Top marksman Tendai Ndoro struck in the 27th minute before former Highlanders player Tarisai Rukanda punished his former coach at Kujatana Mandla Mpofu with an individual beautiful individual effort 10 minutes later.
It was the third meeting between the two sides, the first ending in victory for Chicken Inn while Shabanie Mine claimed the second one, a BancABC Sup8r encounter.
Without any doubt, the match was a big yawn save for the few flashes of brilliance from the visitors’ Pervington Zimunya and the rather comical errors from the home side’s central defence of skipper Felix Chindungwe and Zephaniah Ngodzo. Ngodzo’s errors were not only comical but suicidal also as it was certainly not his day as he was standing in for the stocky Guide Goddard.
The visitors were the first to knock on their hosts final third as in the sixth minute, Nduna Nkosana awarded them a freekick just outside the box and up stepped Zimunya to take it but his left footed shot was blasted on the four-man Chicken Inn wall.
From then on the striking partnership of Zimunya and Rukanda was always a thorn for Chindungwe and Ngodzo but it was the hosts who orchestrated their own raid through pint-sized Kudakwashe Mahachi who went on his trademark left wing run, roasted his marker on the right side before bringing in a hard and low shot that got into the box only for the on-rushing Marshal Marime to flush the chance. The visitors survived.
In the 21st minute, Marime was fed a sitter by Ndoro and with everyone expecting him to bury it home, he only managed to shoot straight at the advancing Victor Twaliki in goal for Shabanie Mine whose coach Luke Masomere told Chronicle Sport that he needs 24 points in the second half to survive relegation.
Frankson Bushire wasted a great opportunity deep in the first half when he hurriedly shot over the bar with Njabulo Nyoni still trying to get on his feet way outside his goal line.
Then the hosts went ahead through a move that involved Mahachi and Ndoro. The left-footed dribbling wizard chipped the ball over a defender towards goal, forcing the goalkeeper to get off his line in an effort to cut the ball but at that moment the ever predatory Ndoro had seen his target.
In a flash he was in the thick of things and lobbed the ball over and into an empty net. Marime made sure with a full blooded shot into the nets but the ball had already crossed the line.
Ten minutes later Shabanie Mine got their equaliser from an expected source but clearly not from an expected route, the central defence. Rukanda worked his way right through and when he was a few metres inside the box he intelligently fired at goal and Nyoni could only dive in vein.
The second half continued to be a yawn with only young Chicken Inn right back Tonisani ‘Yeboah’ Sibelo forcing an acrobatic save from Twaliki off a 62nd minute freekick.
Mpofu brought in Tendai Mukambi for Marime in the 68th minute before pulling out Canaan Nkomo for Thomas Chimenya seven minutes before time. The two substitutes did little to change the complexion of the game.
Meanwhile, Chicken Inn for the umpteenth time denied some members of the media entry yesterday.
Teams:
Chicken Inn: N Nyoni, T Sibelo, Z Ngodzo, F Chindungwe, D Phiri, Cabby Kamhapa, C Nkomo (T Chimenya 83rd minute), K Mahachi, M Marime (T Mukambi 68th minute), T Ndoro, B Mbiriri
Shabanie Mine: V Twaliki, P Sithole, P Muzondo, B Mbavarira, S Muchabaiwa, T Mombeshora, F Bushire, E Phiri, P Zimunya, T Rukanda, C Masotsha.
Online Reporter