Gunners roast Chicken Inn

Cup at Pelandaba yesterday.
The match looked headed for a penalty shootout but Gunners capitalised on Chicken Inn’s defensive blunders and dumped the Bulawayo outfit out of the country’s richest football tournament.
Lawe’s goal sparked wild celebrations from a few Gunners supporters, led by their owner Cuthbert Chitima, who saw their team come from behind to win.
Gunners were on top of their game with Chicken Inn coming second to the ball for the better part of the match.
Chando Kupisa took an early lead courtesy of a Valentine Ndaba header in the third minute.
Munyaradzi Chiwara dribbled past Brian Mbiriri on the right side before sending a cross which Chicken Inn’s veteran defender Herbert Dick made no attempt to clear, leaving Ndaba to head the ball past exposed goalkeeper Njabulo Nyoni.
Evans Chikwaikwai equalised for Chicken Inn in the 27th minute after capitalising on a goalkeeping error by Clayton Dombo who fumbled a Tendai Mukambi cross, under the challenge of man-of-the-match Sydney Linyama.
The goal torched fierce protests from the Gunners’ players as they claimed there was an infringement on their ‘keeper.
Moses Chunga, their coach, intervened and play resumed after a few minutes of stoppage.
Four minutes after the break, defender Moses Jackson gave Chicken Inn the lead when he headed a Makhosi Ncube cross.
It was Jackson’s first goal since joining the Gamecocks from Hardbody at the beginning of the season.
Ten minutes later, Tapiwa “Kedha” Dephistara cancelled Chicken Inn’s lead and again, the Bulawayo side’s defenders failed to clear a cross from Wesley Matute leaving the striker to ghost in from the blind side and score.
The sucker punch came in time added on after Chiwara broke loose on the right side of midfield before whipping a cross, which Dick failed to clear, leaving Lawe to coolly head in the winner.
It was Chunga’s first win this season after an earlier spell at Black Mambas did not produce a victory for Bambo.
“We have taken a step further and we are going to continue working hard. I think their first goal destabilised my young boys and we had to refocus at half time and came back stronger,” said Chunga.
Gunners’ youngsters had a field day as they won most midfield tussles where Linyama fought a lone battle for the Bulawayo club.
Chicken Inn’s wingbacks Mbiriri and Jackson looked jittery with their midfielders Thabani Goredema and Canaan Nkomo chasing shadows, while Dick had a nightmare.
“We were always second to the ball in midfield and that put us under pressure.
“Our defenders also failed to deal with the crosses and I must say it’s disappointing to lose to schoolboys,” said Julius Ndlovu, Chicken Inn’s goalkeepers’ coach.
Teams
Chicken Inn:
N Nyoni, M Jackson, B Mbiriri, F Chindungwe, H Dick, T Goredema, C Nkomo (K Mahachi 61st min), T Mukambi (L Mpofu 50th min), M Ncube (T Ndoro 70th min), S Linyama, E Chikwaikwai
Gunners:
C Dombo, P Chinungwa, W Kamudyariwo, M Muchenje, I Lawe, V Ndaba (W Gondo, 54th min), B Sande, T Dephistara, O Machingura, M Chiwara