Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube
Chicken Inn 1-0 Hunters
A rare goal — a beauty from Lincoln Maingira in the 21st minute — was enough for Chicken Inn to end their three-match winless streak in a league match at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
After scoring, Maingira, who has been deployed in several positions in recent weeks due to injuries, raced to his coach Tonderayi Ndiraya.
“I told him that he would score today, that is why he ran to me,” said Ndiraya at the post-match press conference.
Ndiraya admitted the points did not come on a silver platter but were fought for. He acknowledged the quality of the opposition and praised his players for resolutely fending off Hunters’ attacks.
“We were playing a team with good players, very technically good players, with the experience we have in the team, we knew once we got a goal we would defend it till the end. We planned the way we played. We knew Hunters would overload the midfield dominate possession.
“In their dominance they created chances, we defended resolutely, we were coming into this game with some pressure on us because we had gone three games without collecting maximum points,” said Ndiraya, whose next assignment is an away trip to TelOne.
Hunters’ coach Nesbert Saruchera bemoaned his side’s failure to convert the many chances they created, crediting committed defending from Maingira and Itai Mabhunu at the heart of the Gamecocks’ defence.
“We failed to convert a lot of chances we managed to create. We should have scored one, three four goals, we just hoping one day we will collect our first set of maximum points,” said Saruchera, whose team played some good football but again walked away empty-handed in the Castle Lager Premiership.
The home side will be the first to admit that luck played its part, as the visitors caused more anxious moments than the scoreline suggests.
Chicken Inn’s opener came in the 21st minute when Genius Hute’s corner found Maingira on the edge of the 12-yard box. He rose high to power home a firm header that gave the visiting goalkeeper no chance.
Prior to that, Hunters had asked several telling questions until Hapmo gained possession on the right, resulting in the corner. Thereafter, both sides went quiet, with little goalmouth action worth noting.
On 43 minutes, Taimon Mvula conceded a free-kick which the visitors fluffed, but from the rebound Chicken Inn managed to clear their lines. A minute later, Innocent Masiwa — brought in from Bikita Minerals at the start of the year — waltzed past three opponents only to blaze his effort over the bar.
In terms of entertainment, the first half failed to deliver, with little constructive play towards goal from either side for long spells.
Chicken Inn endured anxious moments at the start of the second half, twice forced into desperate clearances inside the 12-yard box.
Goalkeeper Mvula was cautioned for time-wasting on 62 minutes, while Hunters’ Munya Mushanga went into the referee’s book for rough play. Chicken Inn’s Vasilli Kawe was also carded for a similar offence.
Denver Mukamba, with his only meaningful contribution of the afternoon, met a Vusumuzi Ngwenya cross in the 73rd minute, forcing a fine diving save from Mvula. The resultant corner was wasted, the effort flying wide of the upright.
In the 78th minute, Elie Ilunga ghosted in from the blind side to force a point-blank save from Mvula, who had a busier afternoon than he might have liked.
Chicken Inn survived a late onslaught from the visitors, holding firm until referee Owen Mananda blew for full-time.
Mananda and his assistants, Brilliant Sibanda and Michael Zulu, allowed the game to flow in a sportsmanlike environment.
Teams
Chicken Inn: T Mvula, L Sefu, H Hapmo (E Katinji 58th minute), I Mabhunu, B Rendo, L Mangaira, T Chiwunga, I Masiwa (S Toronga 89th minute), G Hute (G Majika 82nd minute), L Chikuhwa (V Kawe 58th minute), Tyrese.
Hunters: K Shangiwa, B Nzori, R Pfumbidzayi, J Meya, M Mushanga, T Huni, P Tonha, V Ngwenya, G Dabga (M Tapera 67th minute), E Chirima (E Ilunga 46th minute), B Christopher (D Mukamba 46th minute).
Referees: Owen Manenda, Brilliant Sibanda, Michael Zulu Fourth Venancio Zulu
Match Commissioner: Edson Nkau.
