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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
Chicken Inn……………………………………(2) 2
Dynamos ……………………………………….(1) 2
DEFENDING champions Dynamos kept their championship hopes alive as they picked up a vital point after surviving a storming Chicken Inn first half display at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Joey Antipas’ men took a quick fire lead but lost the plot when Dynamos pulled one back through their skipper Tawanda Muparati in the 26th minute from a freekick. It was a beautiful goal for the defending champions that stunned Chicken Inn goalkeeper Liberty Chirava as he remained rooted to the spot, helplessly watching the ball as it hit the back of the net.
The league’s top goal scorer Tendai Ndoro shot past a diving Dynamos goalie George Chigova in the first minute after some intelligent play involving the striker, Clemence Matawu and Mkhokheli Dube.
Ndoro has 18 goals to his account.
The Gamecocks extended their lead 12 minutes later through Brian Mbiriri from a freekick.
Chigova should be blamed for the second goal as Mbiriri’s grounder which took a slight deflection from the wall saw the ball sneak under his armpits.
The Harare giants who are seeking their third consecutive Premiership title drew the sting from the game and Cliff Sekete’s 54th minute goal secured them a point.
Dynamos’ coach Callisto Pasuwa said they would fight to the last whistle.
“We lacked concentration in the first half and we paid dearly for that. I am happy that we managed to re-group and finished the game stronger.
“This is a vital point for us in our championship quest and we are going to fight until the last whistle,” said Pasuwa.
Chicken Inn should have killed the game in the first half but blew numerous chances.
Kudakwashe Mahachi got to the end of a perfect pass from Dube but the ginger-haired midfielder hurried his shot on the edge of the box and sent his effort to the terraces six minutes into the game.
A minute later, Dynamos’ striker Simba Sithole tried to fool the referee Hardly Ndazi who had a good day in office as he missed the ball trying to take a shot at goal inside the box and fell onto the turf under the close attention from Charles Mutero then tried to appeal for a penalty. Ndazi was well positioned and did not fall for the trick.
Three minutes later Stephen Alimenda shot wide after being sent through by Muparati.
The hosts’ initial dominance failed to manifest into clear chances as in the 18th minute Ndoro seized on Patson Jaure’s error, bundled through a challenge and found himself one on one with Chigova, but shot way off target.
Ndoro also shot weakly at the exposed keeper’s hands in the 90th minute after dispossessing Jaure.
Seeing that Chicken Inn were dominating in midfield where they had Matawu, Danny Phiri, Mahachi, Thabani Goredema and Dube who was a supporting striker, Dynamos’ coach Pasuwa pulled out ineffective Milton Makopa in the 20th minute and introduced Sekete whose arrival changed the complexion of the game.
Sekete should have equalised for the Harare giants four minutes before halftime when he got to the end of a Thomas Magorimbo cross but failed to direct his header on target as DeMbare finished the first stanza stronger.
The defending champions showed character as they continued to press Chicken Inn with Muparati tearing open the Gamecocks’ midfield and were duly rewarded in the 54th minute when Sekete’s dipping shot at the edge of the box hit the cross bar and landed into the back of the net.
Four minutes after coming on to the field, Patrick Khumbula who had replaced Simba Sithole in the 73rd minute, turned and shot in the box but an alert Chirava tipped the ball for a corner.
As Dynamos continued piling pressure on the hosts in search of a winner, their raids were thwarted by some unruly spectators who were sitting at the Soweto Bay as they kept throwing balls onto the field of play once DeMbare ventured forward.
Chirava made a stunning save in the 89th minute when he went airborne to tip a Muparati dipping shot for a corner but in the process injured himself. That was DeMbare’s last attempt at goal.
Dynamos’ defender Oscar Machapa will miss his team’s last match of the season against Black Mambas after getting a red card after the game for abusive language.
“This was a thriller, we had our chances they had theirs but I think we should have won the game. We gave away an easy goal because we were many behind the ball but still failed to defend,” said Chicken Inn’s coach Joey Antipas.
Teams
Chicken Inn: Liberty Chirava, Brian Mbiriri, Charles Mutero, Felix Chindungwe, Moses Jackson, Danny Phiri, Mkhokheli Dube (Tendai Mukambi, 78th minute), Clemence Matawu, Thabani Goredema (Canaan Nkomo, 64th minute), Kudakwashe Mahachi, Tendai Ndoro
Dynamos: George Chigova, Thomas Magorimbo, Augustine Mbara, Sydney Linyama, Patson Jaure, Stephen Alimenda, Milton Makopa (Cliff Sekete, 20th minute), Oscar Machapa (Tichaona Mabvura, 64th minute), Tawanda Muparati, Washington Pakamisa, Simba Sithole (Patrick Khumbula, 73rd minute)
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