adminTobias Mandoreba Hwange Correspondent
Hwange 1-2 How Mine
HWANGE fans watched in shock and disbelief as their team’s chances of lifting the Castle Lager Premier League title wilted under the blazing temperatures after falling to a determined How Mine in a league match played at the Colliery Stadium yesterday.
Also diminishing for the coalminers is a chance to make some rich pickings in the Mbada Diamonds Cup at the end of the season as this year’s tournament will be a preserve for the top four sides.
At the end of an afternoon that the hosts virtually slept on duty, especially in the opening half, it was the self-proclaimed “Doctor of Football” Luke Masomere who travelled back to his base with three big points which makes life a bit easier for the goldminers going into the last few games.
Masomere’s charges overcame an injury setback early in the game when right back Morris Kadzola was stretchered off and was replaced by veteran Gilbert Banda in the 10th minute.
With Hwange virtually missing in action, it was no surprise as the goldminers opened the scoring in the 21st minute through goal poacher Kudakwashe Musharu, who received a sitter from the heavily built Caleb Masocha at the edge of the box and outpaced the static home defenders before banging home past an advancing and exposed Takabva Mawaya.
More misery was in store for Hwange head coach Nation Dube and company as the visitors doubled their advantage five minutes later after Heritain Masuku’s sizzling effort on the edge of the Hwange box took an awkward deflection off Andrew Tshuma before rolling into the back of the nets.
Hwange’s only sight at goal in the entire opening stanza was through leftback Munyaradzi Mungadze’s curling freekick which whistled past the left upright by a few inches on the half hour mark with impressive goalkeeper Bernard Donovan diving in vain.
How Mine could have gone to the breather leading by an even bigger scoreline had it not been for the brilliance of Mawaya who was overworked by his defence.
Five minutes from the breather, Mawaya dived full stretch to smother a blistering Menard Mupera freekick only for Masocha to miscue the rebound with a yawning goal at his mercy.
The introduction of veteran striker, Gilbert Zulu, for an out of sorts Alec Marime in the 47th minute changed the complexion of Hwange’s attack in the last half as they started playing with a lot of purpose.
Zulu’s combination with tall striker Evans Rusike started causing anxious moments for the How Mine defence as the home side probed for the much needed breakthrough.
In the 63rd minute, How Mine’s Donovan produced the save of the afternoon when he summoned all his reflexes to tip a Farai Vimisai dipping volley for a corner kick as the coalminers pinned How Mine in their own half.
Fifteen minutes from time Donovan continued to be the stumbling block to Hwange’s quest to reduce the damage as he produced another top drawer save as he smothered a sizzling Talent Chamboko freekick which had eluded the wall.
Hwange’s pressure finally paid off in the 80th minute when substitute Zulu rose high to connect a curling Vimisai corner kick into the back of the nets to give Chipangano a glimmer of hope.
Sensing that Hwange was now smelling blood, Masomere congested his midfield and closed shop to secure an important victory which gives the nomadic coach some measure of revenge after an opening season 5-1 hammering by Hwange while he was still at army side Buffaloes.
After the match, Nation Dube blasted his boys for approaching the game with a wrong mindset.
“The boys’ mindset was wrongly placed especially if you saw how they played in the opening half. In the second half they tried to wake up but the damage was already done by those two silly goals we conceded.
“I challenged the boys to fight for an extra bonus of playing in the Mbada Cup at the end of the season and it is still up to them to fight for that feat by bouncing back,” said Dube.
Dube will pray hard that injured midfield maestro Rodwell Chinyengetere recovers quick enough to add some sparkle in the midfield department.
“Vahombe” was all smiles after the match.
“The three points make me very happy as they’ve come at the right time in the season. Mathematically we’re now alright we now wait for next season but that will not stop us from chasing more points to go up the ladder. I’ve coached almost all teams in Zimbabwe hence beating my former team Hwange is not special in anyway because that’s the nature of our job, to get results.” he said.
Teams
Hwange: T Mawaya; P Dube; M Mungadze; A Tshuma; G Ndlovu; C Muleya (D Boriwondo 70th minute); T Chamboko; F Vimisai; A Marime (47th minute); E Rusike; P Mpelele (T Chese 70th minute)
How Mine: B Donovan; M Kadzola (G Banda10th minute); W Sithole; N Mukumbi; N Tachi; M Mupera; L Matawu (E Mandiranga 47th minute); C Masocha(G Nguwodzawo 85th minute); H Masuku; K Musharu; J Chitereki
Match Officials: Referee: Mandlenkosi Sibanda, Abraham Manda, Brilliant Sibanda, Hardley Ndazi, Match Commissioner: Jennifer Ncube
derick.khumalo