adminTobias Mandoreba Hwange Correspondent
Hwange 2-0 Chiredzi FC
HWANGE continued to put on the dark horse tag in this year’s title race after posting a crucial victory over a stubborn Chiredzi in a match played at the Colliery Stadium yesterday. The coalminers might have prevailed yesterday but coach Nation Dube needs to work on his side’s finishing as the hosts could have embarrassed the lowveld side with a rugby scoreline win had they not wasted a glut of clear cut chances throughout the game.
At the end of the day, a clinical penalty conversion by striker Alec Marime in the 56th minute and substitute Gilbert Zulu’s flashing header in the 87th minute was all Hwange gaffer Dube needed to make a dream return to the technical bench after a two week absence while attending a CAF A coaching licence in the capital.
It did not take long for Hwange to start knocking on Chiredzi’s doors as in the 5th minute Tonisani Sibelo and Tafara Chese combined well deep in the visitors half only for the latter’s curling cross to be smothered by an alert defender Tinashe Mutete before a well-positioned Rodwell Chinyengetere could bang home from close range.
In the 12th minute Sibelo again overlapped in a menacing fashion before releasing a trademark cross which was met by a glancing Chinyengetere header which zoomed over the crossbar by a few inches.
When Chiredzi got their only meaningful chance of the opening half in the 18th minute, Tatenda Kanyemba’s well taken header found veteran Hwange goalkeeper Timothy Sibanda alert.
The home side continued probing and in the 25th minute Sibelo’s intended cross took an awkward swerve in mid-air to deceive goalkeeper Brighton Chipuwa who completely missed the ball which he intended to punch out only for Mutete to mop up with a desperate goal line clearance.
Chipangano’s woes in front of goal were not over as yet as the drum beating home fans watched in utter disbelief on the half hour mark when Marime latched on to a sitter by Farai Vimisai inside the Chiredzi box only to produce a toddler’s effort which Chipuwa gratefully collected.
Two minutes after Marime’s glaring miss, attacking midfielder Isaac Masame was replaced by youngster Pritchad Mpelele in an injury inspired substitution with the young left back being thrown in an unfamiliar attacking role.
Mpelele vindicated his coach with an excellent performance as a left winger from that moment to the final whistle.
Hwange anchorman Collen Muleya also joined the list of culprits in front of goal 10 minutes from half time when he pounced on to a loose ball at the edge of the box after a goal mouth melee only to direct his effort to the birds to again leave Chiredzi off the hook.
Dube was clearly frustrated on the bench as his charges continued to miss chance after chance.
Hwange started the last half with same script as Vimisai was allowed acres of space to shoot in the 47th minute but directed his effort straight at the goalkeeper.
Vimisai’s stinging effort in the 56th minute was more clinical as defender Mutete handled in an attempt to clear leaving a well-positioned Bulawayo referee Allen Basvi with no option but to point to the spot.
Up stepped Marime to tuck the spot kick into the far post.
Seven minutes after Hwange’s opener, Chiredzi thought they had grabbed the all-important equaliser when the tall Tawanda Muyendi headed home but the effort was disallowed after the first assistant referee Brilliant Sibanda spotted an infringement on goalkeeper Sibanda before the goal.
The decision incensed the animated Chiredzi gaffer Gishon Ntini who briefly protested to the match officials to no avail.
Chiredzi’s spirits were not dampened by the setback as they started pressing for a breakthrough with their forays being led by substitute David Temwanjira and Tatenda Kanyemba.
Ten minutes from the end Kanyemba was denied from point blank range by Timothy Sibanda who relied on his experience to smother his effort from a one on one situation.
Striker Zulu’s introduction in the 75th minute for Tafara Chese then proved to be what the doctor ordered for Hwange as the home side pinned Chiredzi in their own half.
The two substitutes Mpelele and Zulu put the icing on the cake three minutes from time when Mpelele broke loose on the left flank and sent in a delicate cross which Zulu powered home from close range.
Hwange goalkeepers’ coach Chenjerayi Dube was happy with the win.
“We are happy for three points though we could have won by a big margin. We are going to work on that. Special mention also goes to young Pritchard who performed well in a new role.” He said.
Ntini was bitter.
“The referees decided the result by denying us a goal while they gave Hwange a penalty. How can you win matches when goals are always being disallowed?” he said.
Teams
Hwange: T Sibanda, T Sibelo, M Mungadze, G Ndlovu, A Tshuma, C Muleya, T Chese(G Zulu75th min), F Vimisai, R Chinyengetere, A Marime, I Masame(P Mpelele 36th min)
Chiredzi: B Chipuwa, T Mutete(T Ndlovu 81st min), G Kwaramba, T Muyendi, M Muneri, D Bakali, S Hadebe(D Temwanjira 46th min), Z Zacks, M Chinembeza, S Msimbu, T Kanyemba.
Online Reporter