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Tobias Mandoreba Hwange Correspondent
Hwange FC 3-1 Highlanders FC
THE pain, anguish and despair continues for the black and white football masses as Highlanders stumbled to a fifth successive defeat at the hands of a fired up Hwange in a Premier League match played at the Colliery Stadium yesterday.
Interim coach Mark Mathe thought he had finally found the formula to exorcise the ghost of suffering defeats week in, week out when his charges went to halftime leading courtesy of a brilliantly taken penalty by goalkeeper Munyaradzi Diya in the 18th minute only for the coalminers to emerge from the dressing room firing from all cylinders to demolish Bosso.
The long faces of the Highlanders supporters after the game told a big story of a set of fans who are muttering silent prayers on a daily basis to the football gods for them to intervene in their hour of need.
In the opening stanza, Highlanders were slow to come off the blocks but when their engine heated up they caused a lot of anxious moments for the coalminers with young strikers Knox Mutizwa and Ozias Zibande full of running.
However, it was Hwange who threatened as early as the second minute when rightback Tonisani Sibelo’s thunderous freekick was spilled by Diya who was spared the blushes by tall defender Dumisani Ndhlovu who scooped the ball to safety.
On the quarter hour mark Hwange came back when lanky defender Munyaradzi Mungadze rose to connect a curling Sibelo corner kick but his effort sailed inches over the cross bar with Diya beaten.
Highlanders started to control proceedings from then on with their pressure yielding a penalty kick in the 18th minute after referee Hardly Ndazi adjudged that Mungadze had tripped the slippery Mutizwa inside the box as he went for the kill.
Diya coolly slotted home past a diving Hwange goalkeeper Takabva Mawaya to leave the vocal Bosso fans with overflowing confidence.
The coalminers started fighting back and in the 30th minute their inspirational midfielder Rodwell Chinyengetere unleashed a blistering 35 metre volley which drew the best out of Diya who went airborne to parry the shot back into play.
Ten minutes from the breather Highlanders got the best chance of the afternoon to double their advantage only for dreadlocked Hillary Madzivanyika to release a weak shot towards Mawaya who pushed his effort for a corner kick in a one-on-one situation.
Bosso were not finished as they started playing with their tails up only for a second goal to elude them up to the half time whistle.
Hwange then came back from half time charging like a wounded buffalo and as early as the 47th minute the home fans were up in air only to watch in agony as Chinyengetere’s cracking shot crashed against the cross bar, bouncing back onto the path of substitute Pritchard Mpelele Mwamba who skied his effort with a yawning goal in front of him.
Hwange’s equaliser was to come in the 52nd minute when Evans Rusike latched onto a Chinyengetere sitter and outpaced the entire Bosso defence before hammering past an outdrawn Diya.
Thirteen minutes later the coalminers surged into the lead. The Highlanders defence slept on duty and allowed Hwange leftback Mungadze to scramble home from a goalmouth melee.
Highlanders did not throw in the towel as they continued to hunt for the equaliser with their forays being led by Rahman Kutsanzira and Mutizwa.
Six minutes from time the Bosso fans watched in utter disbelief as Mutizwa hit the crossbar after he had latched on to a spill by Mawaya as the visitors’ pressure levels continued to rise.
Deep into injury time, the world collapsed on Bosso as they left a big gap at the back which allowed Mwamba to feed fellow substitute Newman Sianchali who obliged by hammering past Diya to seal Highlanders’ fate.
Hwange goalkeepers’ coach Chenjerayi Dube said his team deserved all the points.
“We deserved the three points though in the first half it was a bit tough. We’ll continue fighting hard to finish the season in a respectable position,” he said.
Mathe took time to grant a post-match interview as he requested for some time to recover from the shock.
“We played well especially in the first half but the major problem in our matches is defence. We always leave gaps at the back and opponents always punish us. However we’ll continue to fight hard to stop this slide,” he said.
Teams
Hwange: T Mawaya; T Sibelo; M Mungadze; G Ndlovu; D Boriwondo; C Muleya (P Mpelele-Mwamba 46th min); A Tshuma; F Vimisai; E Rusike; R Chinyengetere (P Dube 86th minute); G Zulu (N Sianchali 78th minute)
Highlanders: M Diya; S Munawa; R Kutsanzira; B Kangwa; I Mapuranga; H Madzivanyika (M Maphosa 58th minute); K Mutizwa; F Chindungwe; O Zibande; D Ndlovu; H Moyo (V Ndaba 72nd minute).
Refs: Hardly Ndazi; Peter Simutenda; Venancio Zulu, Bwanale Bonamali.
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