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From Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
Hwange …………………………………………………….. (1) 2
Buffaloes ……………………………………………………….. 0
HWANGE’S prospects of having another dance with the elite in Zimbabwe’s top-flight football next year brightened as the coalminers gored a charging Green Buffaloes in a Castle Lager Premier league match played under sizzling Hwange temperatures yesterday.With the race to swim away from the relegation waters getting intriguing as the championship nears the end, Hwange simply had to take full advantage of playing at home but they will be the first to admit that the soldiers gave them a huge scare as they also battle relegation with two games to go.
But at the end of this tough battle for survival, the coalminers prevailed courtesy of goals from veterans Gilbert Zulu on the stroke of half time and a gem of a goal from Farai Vimisayi 10 minutes from the end to deflate Green Buffaloes’ ego and take their tally to 38 points.
Buffaloes came into the match with guns blazing as they threatened as early as the third minute after Wonder Sithole unleashed a ferocious volley from the edge of the box which forced young Hwange goal minder Takabva Mawaya to go airborne and acrobatically tip the effort for the first corner kick of the match.
Hwange, who had a slow start to the match, only showed serious intent on the quarter hour mark when they launched their first attack which almost resulted in a goal only for Isaac Masame, who had beaten an ill-timed off side trap, to be denied in a one- on-one situation by Buffaloes goal minder Blessing Mwandimutsira.
The threat did not stop the Buffaloes charge as the visitors again came close to finding the opener in the 24th minute after a delicate cross from captain Jacob Muzvokomba was met with a glancing Shepherd Nkata header but the effort whistled past the left upright with Mawaya badly exposed.
There was however no denying Gilbert Zulu in the 44th minute after he cleverly connected a Vimisayi cross to make it 1-0.
Buffaloes came into the last half in full combat for a bitter war as they again put the coalminers on the back foot. It had to take a brave sliding tackle by impressive Hwange defender David Boriwondo in the 50th minute to scoop the ball away from the feet of Katongomara before he stabbed home from close range.
Hwange’s game then improved in the last 20 minutes after speed merchant Tafara Chese was thrown into the fray for injured Oscar Lungu.
With Buffaloes sensing blood with some incessant pressure which overworked the home defence, Vimisayi had other ideas to end the match as a contest in the 80th minute with a goal which should rank as one of the best seen at the Colliery Stadium in recent years.
A short pass from Zulu saw Vimisayi attempt to dribble past a Buffaloes player who stopped him in his tracks and with everyone expecting him to pass on to the on-rushing Isaac Masame from the rebound, the pintsized midfielder picked his spot and unleashed a 35-metre volley which flew past a stunned Mwandimutsira into the far corner to leave the home fans in dreamland.
Teams:
Hwange: T Mawaya; E Chipeta; M Mungadze; G Ndhlovu; D Boriwondo; A Tshuma; F Vimisai; O Lungu(T Chese 68th min); G Zulu(E Halungu 85th min); I Masame; N Siwela
Green Buffaloes: B Mwandimutsira; B Mukwena; K Mwaramba(J Takunda 74th minute); T Ndlovu; P Chandisaita; S Nkata; L Chakoroma (S Sibanda 48th minute); W Sithole; T Mareya(F Banda 68th minute); J Muzvokomba; L Katongomara.
Online Reporter