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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 2
Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
Rookie forward Elton Chikona rose from the bench and saved the day for giants Dynamos as they came from behind to beat Chicken Inn in a Castle Lager Premiership match at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
Playing a day after rivals Ngezi Platinum Stars had sealed the title, with two games to spare, the Glamour Boys are now fighting to secure second place.
Chikona had the resilient remnant of the DeMbare fans on their feet following an 86th minute strike that took away their pain after they had been dealt a huge blow in the second minute when lanky forward Marlvin Hwata stole the lead for Chicken Inn.
Utility man Shadreck Nyahwa gave DeMbare the lifeline in the added time of the first half with a header from a corner kick, before the two second half substitutes, Chikona and Eli Ilunga combined to give the hosts a flourishing finish.
Dynamos assistant coach Lloyd “Mablanyo” Chigowe was impressed by his team’s fighting spirit as they reclaimed second place on the log standings. Chigowe was standing in for Genesis Mangombe, who is away on national team duty.
“The match was highly tactical. For some moments in the game, I think Chicken Inn put us under the corner but we introduced fresh blood in the form of young Elton Chikona and Eli Ilunga.
“We knew that with the way the Chicken Inn defence was marking, they would give him space to shoot, and you saw the stinger that came from Ilunga. Once we were at par, I knew we would be able to get the decisive goal to give us the three points,” said Chigowe.
“We had started off clumsily; our boys were probably still at the hotel (in the first half). But at least they showed character and they came back to grab all the points.
“I think that it augurs well for us going forward and also for our objective of coming second. If you cannot be first, then at least be second,” said Chigowe.
With 54 points now in the bag, DeMbare leapfrogged Manica Diamonds into third place, on goal difference, after the Gem Boys were held 0-0 by relegated Cranborne Bullets the previous day.
But Ngezi Platinum Stars, after taking their tally to 63 points on Saturday with the 2-1 win over Simba Bhora, had since done enough to end the title contest, going into the final two rounds of play.
Dynamos knew their fate was sealed after dropping seven points in their previous three matches, when losing 1-0 to Manica Diamonds before playing goalless draws against Black Rhinos and FC Platinum.
They found themselves on the back foot early yesterday when Hwata took advantage of the dilly-dallying by the DeMbare defenders inside the box and drilled home a low shot.
DeMbare, however, did not give in to the setback as they continued to create some scoring opportunities.
Vice-captain Emmanuel Jalai bulldozed into the box and teed up Donald Mudadi but goalkeeper Pride Zendera was well-positioned to deny the midfielder with just a quarter of an hour played.
The Glamour Boys burst into the box again a few moments later courtesy of fine run on the left by Arthur Musiiwa. However, forward Jayden Bakare, who had a disappointing afternoon, blasted his effort into the goalkeeper’s frame in point blank range.
But DeMbare’s workhorse Nyahwa ensured the first half ended with scores at par after heading the ball home at the back post from a corner kick by Issa Sadiki.
Chikona had a chance to put his name on the score-sheet in the 72nd minute but he missed a glorious opportunity when he dragged his effort wide with the keeper to beat, after the Gamecocks’ towering defender Itai Mabunu was caught flat-footed inside the box.
There was still time, however, for Chikona to make amends. The teenage forward got it right when he finished off a rebound after goalkeeper Pride Zendera had spilled a shot from Ilunga. Midfielder Mudadi started the move when he threaded a brilliant long pass to release Ilunga into the opponents’ territory.
Chicken Inn remained seventh on the log standings with 45 points and coach Prince Matore was not impressed by his team’s application.
“The main problem was on our transition. If you see even in the first half there were times when we collected the ball and we were supposed to be going forward faster but we delayed the transition.
“We were playing square balls instead of going forward. That was a bit of a letdown because if the transition was perfect, it was going to be okay for us,” said Matore.
Teams:
Dynamos: P. Tafiremutsa, E. Moyo (W. Chimbetu, 59th minute), E. Jalai, D. Dzvinyai, K. Moyo, S. Nyahwa, A. Musiiwa (T. Magwaza, 74th minute), D Mudadi, I. Sadiki (E. Ziocha, 84th minute), K. Madera (E. Ilunga, 74th minute), J. Bakare (E. Chikona, 59th minute)
Chicken Inn: P. Zendera, X. Ndlovu, M. Charamba (D. Jaricha, 70th minute), I. Mabunu, N. Ketala, A. Chinda (L. Lunga, 46th minute), C. Dzingai (O. Malajika, 70th minute), R. Hachiro, G. Mutungamiri (B. Ncube, 86th minute), G. Majika (B. Muza, 46th minute), M. Hwata
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