Masvingo hold Moneybags

MASVINGO United kept intact their unbeaten home record when they held log leaders FC Platinum in a lively Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Mucheke yesterday.
FC Platinum, who have registered a 100 percent record in three games since Rahman Gumbo took charge, raced into the lead in the 23rd minute through Thabani Kamusoko.
The dreadlocked midfielder jumped high to head home a cross from Norman Maroto past Masvingo United goalkeeper Francis Tizai.
But hardly had the celebrations died in the FC Platinum camp did Masvingo pull out the equaliser.
Isaac Chapura latched on to a fine pass from the hard-running Hardlife Muvundu to hit a powerful grounder that beat FC Platinum goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube in the 24th minute.
With a little bit of luck, Una Una could have ended the match with maximum points but their skipper Pervington Zimunya wasted a glut of chances that came his way.
Zimunya failed to score in the 33rd minute when Welcome Ndiweni had done the hard work of setting him up inside the box. Dube blocked Zimunya’s effort while the same player wasted another chance in the 40th minute when he miscued his shot after being set up by Mavundu.
FC Platinum were a revitalised side in the second half with Kamusoko controlling the midfield but “Moneybags” failed to convert their dominance into goals with Tizai denying Maroto on several occasions. After the match, Masvingo coach Luke Masomere bemoaned the wasted chances.
“The boys played well and we could have won the match had we converted the chances that came our way.
“We should have taken maximum points,” said Masomere.
Meanwhile, Paul Mundandi reports from Zvishavane that Blue Ribbon were unlucky not to collect maximum points at Maglas yesterday in this pulsatingCastle Lager Premiership match. With just a bit of luck, they could have returned to the capital smiling had it not been for a spirited performance by the miners who rose from the dead to force a draw.
Arnold Jani, Elvis Muuya and Andrew Chisunga faced the wrath of disgruntled fans and police had to fight running battles with a section of the fans after the match.
Their “crime” was keeping Junius Chizororo, Caleb Masocha and Smart Muchabayiwa in the game.
The fans wanted an attack comprising Tarisai Rukanda, Tawanda Mareya and crowd favourite Michael Mageja who scored the equaliser. Away from the madness Shabanie were the first to settle when Tafadzwa Mombeshora rose high to place his header past badly exposed Earnmore Hamandishe in the 14th minute. The visitors found their equaliser in the 36th minute through hard working Tapiwa Kumbuyani.
Blue Ribon captain Daniel Kamunenga silenced the home crowd when he scored in the 45th minute.
Kamunenga returned to haunt the hosts in the 56th minute.
Chizororo scored a rebound off a Muchabaiwa penalty. Following the goal Shabanie bombarded the visitor’s goal area but they failed to find the equaliser.
With most of the Shabanie fans having lost hope and with just a few cheering the team despite being a goal down Mageja broke his duck. The player got to the end of a rebound from the Blue Ribbon defence and powered a shot that Hamandishe could only watch going in.