Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira at Luveve Stadium
Chicken Inn 1-0 ZPC Kariba
IT took 90 minutes of persistence and one well timed strike in stoppage time for Chicken Inn to finally break down a stubborn ZPC Kariba side at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
Defender Itai Mabhunu, popped up with the match winner in added time, reacting quickest to a loose ball from a corner to steer home from close range, and seal three points for the Gamecocks in this Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash.
The result means Chicken Inn have now won three straight home games, a run that coach Joey Antipas believes reflects growing momentum.
“We dominated the game but it took us a long time to break them down. At the end of the day, we’re happy to collect maximum points. This is our third successive victory at home, which is good for us,” said Antipas.
ZPC Kariba coach Newton Chitewe, admitted the late lapse in concentration was costly.
“We lost the ball and conceded a corner, which eventually led to the goal. I felt we had done well to keep the hosts at bay for most of the game,” he said.
Chicken Inn dictated the tempo from the first whistle, with most of their attacks flowing through the right flank where Arthur Chinda and Malvin Majika constantly stretched the visitors’ defence.
But for all their possession, clear cut chances were hard to come by.
Their best opening in the first-half came in the 32nd minute, when Chinda whipped in a teasing ball from the right. It fell kindly to Walter Vuwa inside the box, but instead of striking first time, he tried to control it, only to fumble the chance.
Two minutes later, Tadiwa Muchenje’s low shot was hacked off the line by ZPC defender Marshall Gavaza, after another strong move down the right.
The Gamecocks had one more opportunity to break the deadlock before the break. A freekick from captain Xolani Ndlovu found Lincoln Mangaira unmarked in the box, but the midfielder couldn’t keep his header on target.
In the end, it took Mabhunu’s late intervention to finally make the difference on an afternoon Chicken Inn will feel they fully deserved the win.
derick.khumalo