Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere at Barbourfields Stadium
A SIXTH-MINUTE strike from Tymon Machope was all that Scottland FC needed to floor Chicken Inn 1-0 in a tense Week 30 clash at Barbourfields Stadium on Friday.
Machope pounced on a clever Khama Billiat pass, coolly beating Donovan Bernard from close range to silence the Gamecocks faithful. The result kept the high-flying Scotts perched at the top of the log on 59 points after 30 outings, one ahead of Simba Bhora, while Chicken Inn remain marooned on 33 points.
The Gamecocks, backed by a sizeable Emagumeni crowd, started brightly. With just two minutes gone, they forced the Scotts onto the back foot and then felt hard done when referee Mhaka Magare waved away a penalty appeal after Kingsley
Muremba appeared to handle inside the box.
Four minutes later, Scottland punished them. The visitors struck through Machope, leaving Chicken Inn players and
sympathisers crestfallen.
The first half ended with Walter Musona turning on the style, dribbling past defenders like training cones before unleashing a thunderbolt that Malon Mushonga blocked with Bernard already beaten.
In the second half, both benches rang the changes but the scoreboard refused to budge. In the 53rd minute, Lynoth Chikuhwa spurned a golden chance, firing tamely at Nelson Chadya who stood firm between the posts.
Chicken Inn threw in substitutes Leeroy Saungweme and Malvin Hwata on the hour mark, while the Scotts introduced
Mthokozisi Msebe and Moses Shidolo for Billiat and Machope. Still, the Gamecocks could not find a way through.
At the end, it was Scottland who walked tall, showing why they remain favourites in this bruising title race.
Teams:
Chicken Inn: D Bernard, B Muza (Hwata 61), B Rendo, M Mushonga, I Mabunu, G Majika (Saungweme 61), L Chikuhwa, M Charamba (Musena 70), L Mangaira, J Tulani, X Ndlovu.
Scottland: N Chadya, P Muduhwa, T Dzukamanja (Nyaba 84), G Murwira, W Musona (Mutimbanyoka 84), T Machope (Shidolo 75), K Musona, A Manenji, K Billiat (Msebe 75), K Muremba, K Moyo.
