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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter—
Chicken Inn 0-1 Dynamos
Hwange-based referee, Hardly Ndazi’s questionable decisions overshadowed Dynamos’ deserved win over Chicken Inn in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday. Striker Rodrick Mutuma’s 10th minute goal saw the Glamour Boys cutting the Gamecock’s lead at the top of the table to four points.
Dynamos frustrated their hosts with a defensive display after the goal and did not register any shot on target after that. However, it was referee Ndazi, who has previously been accused of biased officiating by DeMbare, who stole the limelight albeit for the wrong reasons. Ndazi’s comedy of errors started early into the match when he allowed himself to be literally bullied by Dynamos captain Stephen Alimenda, who was in the referee’s face throughout the match.
On two occasions, the blundering Ndazi allowed Dynamos’ injured players to continue playing after being treated on the field of play instead of ordering them to leave the pitch and return after play had resumed. First it was big Takesure Chinyama, who picked up a knock inside the Chicken Inn half and Ndazi waved the medics to attend to him. After being treated, the medics left the pitch but Chinyama continued playing.
There would have been controversy had the stocky target man scored as Dynamos attacked through a free-kick soon after the blunder. The next incident was even more comical when second half substitute Blessing Moyo, who had been hacked down and needed treatment, quickly took a throw in after being treated on the pitch.
Ndazi’s errors mounted when he resumed play with a drop ball after medics had attended to Dynamos goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva, although medics only came on after the keeper had kicked the ball out of play after injuring his shoulder. “It’s sad that the referee was so unfair to us. We’re taking nothing from the Dynamos win but I feel the referee was against us and we suspect previous threats by Dynamos put him under pressure,” said Chicken Inn chairman, Lifa Ncube.
Ndazi’s pathetic display aside, the match itself started explosively as both sides tried to unsettle each other by searching for an early goal. Chicken Inn almost stole the lead through Michelle Kasvairo, whose low first time shot missed the target by inches after getting to the end of a well calculated cross from an overlapping Moses Jackson in the fifth minute.
Jackson had been picked up by outstanding veteran Clemence Matawu. But the champions regrouped and began to exchange some neat passes with Alimenda doing most of the running in the middle of the park. A rare mistake by central defender Guide Goddard, who panicked while under no pressure on the centre line, saw the ball falling for Mutuma, who passed to Chinyama and ran into space.
Chinyama crossed to Mutuma whose first time short beat the diving Elvis Chipezeze in goals for Chicken Inn and sent the DeMbare fans into a frenzy. Goddard could have made amends in the 16th minute with a snap shot from the penalty box but Mukuruva was alert to make a clean catch. The champions responded immediately through a Ronald Chitiyo long range shot that, however, went over the bar.
The second half had little action as Dynamos chose to sit back and absorb the Chicken Inn pressure. “We thought it was better for us to suck the pressure and hope to catch them on counter attacks,” said an elated Dynamos gaffer Tonderai Ndiraya after the match. Chicken Inn coach Joe Antipas said Goddard’s mistake cost them dearly.
“We did everything to win the match. We dominated play but the goal would just not come,” said Antipas. He said it was still game on as far as the championship race was concerned. Teams: Chicken Inn: E Chipezeze, L Mhlanga, G Goddard, C Matawu, M Jackson, T Kutinyu (I Lawe 65th min), D Phiri, E Chirambadare (Toto Banda 92nd min), M Katsvairo, G Majika, B Mbiriri Unused subs: T Goredema, P Zendera, C Moyo, B Nyaunzvi
Dynamos: T Mukuruva, G Murwira, O Mushure, O Mwerahari, E Muroiwa, S Alimenda, R Chitiyo ( T Mukanga 82nd min), Z Mhanda (B Moyo 69th min), C Rusere, R Mutuma (R Kawondera 72nd min), T Chinyama Unused subs: K Bulayi, T Mateyauya, T Mamvura, M Mambare
Online Reporter