Hwange drop first of points

Fairness Moyana in HWANGE
Hwange 1-1 Triangle
EARLY season pacesetters Hwange dropped their first set of points when they were held by visiting Triangle in a fiercely-contested Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at the Colliery Stadium yesterday.
Triangle striker Tinei Chitora opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a well executed shot into the corner of the goal post after he had found a gap in defence. Nation Dube’s boys drew level through Rodwell Chinyengetere seven minutes into the second stanza.

The home side could have pulled back earlier in the 11th minute but an attempt at goal by Chinyengetere was blocked by the alert visitors’ defence. Still seeking an equaliser, Chipangano’s Munyaradzi Mungadzi delivered a superb cross that found no taker. Pressure on Triangle mounted in the dying minutes of the first half as Andrew Chuma dribbled past the visiting defence wall only for his shot to miss the goal post by inches.

However, seven minutes into the second half Chinyengetere sent a shot flying into the net after Triangle defender Praise Tonha had panicked and lost the ball he was trying to clear near the 18 yard box.

There was six minutes of added time which proved to be very eventful as the two teams fought to outdo each other.  There was drama two minutes into the added time when referee Bekezela Makeka controversially sent Rukwanhi off instead of defender Chastern Ngondonga who had remonstrated against the referee.

The decision also saw Triangle assistant coach Lovemore Dzoro being sent off as well after protesting Makeka’s decision.
Chipangano head coach Dube was not a happy man after the match, saying his boys put up a below par performance.

“We were not at our best.  We were failing to click in the first half especially when it came to ball control. We just couldn’t hold on to the ball long enough to score and that’s something that almost cost us,” said Dube.

Biggy Zuze, the Triangle coach, felt it was a fairly contested match.
“We played well because I was worried that my boys would not be physically fit to take on Hwange after the long journey.  However there is need to improve in terms of ball possession which was a challenge for the boys,” said the former Monomotapa coach.

Results:
Hwange 1(Rodwell Chinyengetere 53rd min), 1 Triangle United (Tineyi Chitora 9th min), Shabanie Mine 2 (Godknows Murirwa 45th min, 66th min), 0 Black Rhinos; Chapungu 2 (Gift Phiri 4th min), Calisto Maheya (78th min), 2 How Mine (Thembani Masuku 49th min, Kuda Musharu 62nd min), Caps United 0, 0 Buffaloes.