adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
CASTLE Lager Premiership newboys Dongo Sawmills coach Shadreck ‘Father’ Mugurasave believes his team is ready to collect the first set of maximum points when they entertain How Mine at Vengere on Sunday. The match starts at 3pm. Dongo Sawmills could still be basking in the glory of a hard fought and well-deserved away point at Mandava where they held FC Platinum to a 2-2 stalemate defying all odds in the process, but their coach has vowed to perform even better and snatch their first victory.
In a telephone interview from Rusape on Wednesday, the former Buffaloes player and coach, said his team could have beaten FC Platinum by a wide margin if only they did not lack precision in front of goal.
“I think we played well as a team and I am happy with the result that we got although I still feel that we could have won that match by a wider margin. My boys missed a number of scoring chances and we could have found the net more than four times.
“However, we are happy that we managed to get the important away point. We are aware that it is not easy to get a single point while playing away from home,” said Mugurasave.
Mugurasave said he was working on an attacking game plan as he prepares to face How Mine.
“There is no doubt that we will be out in search of maximum points against How Mine. This is one of the ways we can endear ourselves with our home fans. They have been supporting us all the way from Division One and it is our chance to appreciate their efforts by winning Sunday’s match.
“I know How Mine are no pushovers. They are an expensively assembled side that is capable of upsetting us, but we believe that since we are playing in the same league we both have the capacity to compete from the same footing,” he said.
The Castle Lager Premiership débutantes pulled a shocker as they held the much fancied FC Platinum to a 2-2 draw at Mandava last Sunday.
The platinum miners came twice from behind with Walter Musona and Donald Ngoma to cancel strikes from former Southdowns forward Physwell Madhazi and Blessing Dzumbunu.
Fresh from a 5-1 humbling in the CAF Confederation Cup at the hands of Young Africans, the Zvishavane-based side was expected to come out all guns blazing against the league newboys, but narrowly escaped another humiliating afternoon.
Eight minutes into the match, Mandava was silenced when Madhazi headed home the opener past an exposed Petros Mhari in goal for the miners.
The home side threw everything in attack in search for an equaliser, and after a quarter of an hour of action, Musona’s connection from an Elvis Moyo cross was blocked by Forward Pfupajena in goal for the league debutants.
Moments later, Lawrence Masibera fluffed a chance to give the visitors a cushion goal when he blasted over the cross bar.
After 25 minutes of action, FC Platinum were awarded a penalty following a reckless lunge by Kudzai Chideu on Brian Muzondiwa. Musona made no mistake from the spot kick to level the score line.
Blessing fired home a pile driver 10 minutes before full-time to restore the visitors lead. But Ngoma rescued his side from the jaws of defeat in stoppage time when he roasted three defenders before firing home the equaliser.
Online Reporter