adminNEWBOYS How Mine moved five places up the ladder into fifth place after beating Motor Action in a poor Castle lager Premiership encounter at Luveve yesterday.
Motor Action defender Passmore Bernard propelled the home side into the lead five minutes after half-time when he failed to communicate with his goalkeeper Marlon Jani and poked the ball into the back of the net.
Bernard appeared to have been trying to intercept a miscue by How Mine striker Simba Sithole from getting to Timothy January.
How Mine’s assistant coach Shewunesu Chaka conceded that his team did not play well but was delighted with the victory.
“There is no bad win in football and we are happy that we managed to get maximum points at home. Of course, we did not play well, at some point we were under pressure and failed to utilise the few chances that came our way but we are happy that when we got the goal we adjusted and defended well,” said Chaka. How Mine’s best scoring chance came in the third minute when striker Simon Njeleza left Bernard and Jani for dead only to see his effort cleared at the goal line by Charles Mutero. Ocean Mpofu also saw his header, off a Thandazani Ndlovu freekick, hit the cross bar with Jani a beaten man.
Motor Action were by far the better team of the day as they dictated pace in the midfield with the Matawu brothers, Clement and Louis, Yves Ebabali and former Highlanders forward Misheck Mburayi controlling the game. But somehow they failed to break the Hebert Dick and Gilbert Banda marshalled defence.
The former champions almost found an opener through Mutero whose curling effort off a corner kick rebound missed the target by inches.
How Mine goalkeeper Pedzisai Gumiremhete almost gifted the visitors a goal when he took long to clear a back pass resulting in him slamming the ball into Mburayi, who had applied the pressure.
Teams
How Mine: Pedzisai Gumiremhete, Brighton Dube, Gilbert Banda, Hebert Dick, Khumbulani Banda, Ocean Mpofu, Menard Mupera, Thandazani Ndlovu (Timothy January, 46th minute) , Warren Dube, Simon Njeleza (Thabani Masuku, 72nd minute), Thabani Moyo (Simba Sithole, 46th minute)
Motor Action: Marlon Jani, Clemence Matawu, Rueben Machaya, Pasmore Bernard, Charles Mutero, Misheck Mburayi, Yves Ebabali (Dylan Chivandire, 59th minute), Mercyful Ncube (Manuel Meleka, 65th minute), Blessing Sande, Louis Matawu (Innocent Kutsanzira, 83rd minute), Douglas Walaza
Online Reporter