adminPremiership soccer table when they completed a double over the asbestos miners in a tightly-contested match at Mandava yesterday.
FC Platinum beat Shabanie 3-1 in their first league encounter earlier this season.
Despite missing the services of Charles Sibanda,Tafadzwa Dube, Zephaniah Ngodzo and Norman Togara, the log leaders played well and are now sitting pretty at the top of the table, as their nearest title rivals Dynamos were held to a goalless draw by Hwange at the Colliery yesterday.
Shabanie, on the other hand, need to work hard in their remaining matches if they still want to play Premier League football next season as Black Mambas triumphed over Chicken Inn in Bulawayo yesterday.
The match, which was full of emotions, saw the home team getting the all-important goal from the penalty spot when the highly rated Harare-based referee Ruzive Ruzive pointed to the spot after he adjudged Shabanie defender Rodney Mware to have tripped Donald Ngoma inside the box.
The decision angered the Shabanie camp and it was coach Luke Masomere and Elvis Muuya who made sure play continued as the asbestos miners’ players threatened to walk off the pitch in protest against the referee’s decision to FC Platinum the penalty.
Play was stopped for six minutes as Masomere talked to his players.
And when order was finally restored, former Black Rhinos and Highlanders midfielder Menard Mupera took the spot-kick, sending goalkeeper Victor Twaliki the wrong way in the 40th minute.
He sent his effort to the left with Twaliki diving to the right and the goal sent wild scenes of celebration in the FC Platinum southern bay, which housed their fans.
“I was disappointed with the penalty. It changed the whole complexion of the match and I will not comment further,” said a visibly disappointed Masomere after the match as his players were openly crying after the defeat.
Ruzive Ruzive then made another blunder when the fourth official indicated six minutes of added time but the referee blew the half time whistle after two minutes.
This prompted fans to throw missiles which hit the second assistant referee Stella Ruvinga in the head and play had to be stopped in the second half as the medical team attended to her.
Apart from all this madness, Shabanie were in control of the game in the first 20 minutes of the match. Joel Ngodzo was played wide but FC Platinum finally took charge when the former Highlanders midfielder was pushed inside where he dictated the pace of the game although Rowan Nenzou had his moments
too each time ho got hold of the ball.
It was after the tactical change that FC Platinum virtually won the match.
It was also a sweet victory for Tendai Chikuni who was in charge of the team after his boss Rahman Gumbo left the mining town in the morning to attend a funeral.
Gumbo lost his sister.
Chikuni never sat on the bench as he was standing barking instructions for the entire match.
With Platinum throwing everything in attack Shabanie survived a scare in the 27th minute.
A long throw from Kumbulani on the left in the Shabanie half eluded the Shabanie tall goalminder and in a desperate effort to clear, defender Smart Muchabayiwa directed his effort at goal only for the ball to hit the left upright post and trickled for a corner.
Nenzou then weaved his way past the FC Platinum defence in the 60th minute and released a scorcher that missed the target by a few inches with the goalkeeper Tsungai Mudzamiri off-guard.
Kudzanayi Kwashi, who had a good game in the Shabanie colours for the first time, was a hero in the 86th minute when he saved his team from further humiliation when he cleared a header that nearly went in after Twaliki had come out of his line.
With the Shabanie world having crumbled Donald Ngoma shook the challenge of his marker, defender Mware with a minute to go but shot weakly from inside the box and the alert Twaliki saved his effort.
“I am very happy to win. We did not play well in the first 20 minutes but later found our rhythm. Benjie (Marere) and Donald Ngoma could have scored a goal each.
“It was my first game in total control since my boss was away but winning is very good. I am also happy that we managed to silence Shabanie coach Luke Masomere and the whole town.
My boys played very well and I was happy with the passing game despite missing key players. We showed character,” said Chikuni after the game.
Teams
FC Platinum: T Mudzamiri, I Ngwandu, K Banda, B Dube, B Marere, D Ngoma (W Manondo 91st minute), D Veremu, T Kamusoko, M Mupera, J Ngodzo, A Marime (N Tshuma 75th minute).
Shabanie Mine: V Twaliki, S Shoko, J Chitereki, S Muchabayiwa, P Marime (E Bakacheza 82nd minute), R Mwale, D Matsveru, K Kwashirai, R Nenzou, T Mareya (A Nyoni 54th minute, J Chizororo 75th minute),C Masocha, Z Makonese.
Online Reporter