Highlanders run riot

Milton Ncube grabbed his eighth goal of the season in the 36th minute and the first of his brace with a ferocious strike from outside the box which was deflected off Quelaton’s Zibusiso Sibanda. Quelaton goalkeeper Freedom Magaba never saw it coming.

Magaba had an untasked duty of picking the ball from his own net the whole afternoon as the Kelvin Kaindu-coached black and white army, who had the luxury of missing a penalty, sent a loud and clear message to the rest of the 15 teams in the PSL.

Bhekimpilo Ncube grabbed Tshilamoya’s second three minutes later with a pile driver from inside the box to send the Bosso crowd into a frenzy after receiving an irresistible ball from the superb Peter “Rio” Moyo. While good when in possession, Moyo was guilty of poor recovery as he was always slow to track back and had the losers realised that, they could have punished Bosso.

Stand-in coach Simba Rusike probably did not see it coming, just like his goalkeeper.

The ferocity of the strike by Ncube appeared to be an attempt to erase a glaring error he made by failing to convert inside the 12-yard box after a Beaven Chikaka feed.

Milton could have scored after 46 minutes when Quelaton’s defender Sibanda rammed into Chikaka and referee Bekezela Makeka who had a good day in office pointed to the spot only for the Bosso striker to hit a tame effort that was saved by Magaba.

Hwange and Victoria Falls-based officials are slowly asserting themselves in the industry with good performances.

The Quelaton keeper’s retrieving job was to continue after he was beaten by his opposite number Ariel Sibanda 51 minutes into the match from the penalty spot.

Peter made a mockery of Gracious Mleya who was left with no option but to handle the ball inside the box, leaving referee Makeka with no option but to point to the spot.

From the Soweto stand, Sibanda raced to take the kick and notified coach Kaindu who in turn gave him the blessings to go ahead and it ended well. By then Barbourfields Stadium was in total ecstasy, literally going wild.

Milton was to make amends for his early glitch as he grabbed his double and his ninth of the season in the 60th minute.

Rio combined beautifully with the enterprising and energetic Bruce Kangwa, who played a blinder on the left flank before the former unleashed the latter in the far corner and the Bosso fullback put in an excellent cross into the box for Milton who coolly slotted home to make it 4-0.

Substitute Honest Moyo who replaced Ncube in the 70th minute combined well with Kangwa who sent in an enticing goal that was headed home by Simba Mambare who had a good day in office since joining Tshilamoya.

Magaba was to pull one back for Kwela Kwela in the 81st minute after a seemingly soft penalty was given when the nomadic Chipo Tsodzo who was making his Quelaton debut was tripped inside the box by national team-bound Innocent Mapuranga. It was, however, a good call by referee Makeka.

Three minutes later the Quelaton goal minder was to continue his afternoon chore of retrieving the ball from his net when young Ozias Zibande latched onto a loose ball after Magaba failed to clear a seemingly harmless Honest Moyo cross from the left only for Zibande to poke it home from about two metres out.

The young Bosso striker was to cap his afternoon with another pile driver in additional time from outside the box after he turned onto a Milton setball and blasted home.

“We played beautifully and the boys who came in to replace those on suspension were equal to the task. As I always say we have a good squad not a good team,” Kaindu, the Bosso gaffer, said after the match.

He also said with the way the team played it would be difficult for any team to stop them as Bosso registered their 16th win of the season. They still remain the only unbeaten side in the league.
Rusike said his boys lost concentration.

“After the first two goals we lost concentration and got frustrated. This was not good as this allowed Highlanders to play their passing game which made it difficult for us to contain them but I also have to say the two penalties they were given also demoralised us.

“We had fielded some new players Tsodzo, Peace Tshuma and Ndumiso Khanye and these are yet to gel with the team as some are still rusty but our fight to survive the chop still continues, it is not over yet,” Rusike said.

Teams
Highlanders: A Sibanda, B Tshuma, B Kangwa, I Mapuranga, E Mudzingwa, S Munawa (H Masuku 63rd  min), P Moyo, S Mambare, B Chikaka (O Zibande 71st min), M Ncube, B Ncube (H Moyo 70th  min).
Quelaton: F Magaba, S Dube, Z Sibanda, N Khanye, P Ncube, P Tshuma (P Dube 57th min), E Nkulungo (S Manwere 66th min), T Mugumanya, C Tsodzo, I Kutsanzira, G Mleya.