MWOS edge Simba Bhora

Tadious Manyepo

Zimpapers Sports Hub

MWOS…………………….(0)1

Simba Bhora………………..0

MWOS are slowly but surely finding their range after squeezing this victory, to move within just four points of Premiership leaders, in a tight contest at Ngoni yesterday.

The Punters finished second in the league in their first season last year and they had been showing burnout signs this year. But everything is looking to be falling well in place for them after registering their second win in successive games for the first time this term.

Marceline Mlilo scored midway through the second half to see off the match and push Lloyd Mutasa and his men to seventh on the log with 12 points in seven games. What made the victory even sweeter for Mutasa was that it came straight after beating Agama 2-1 last week. “Yeah, another tough encounter. Simba Bhora has never been easy against us,” said Mutasa.

“Last year they came here, we lost 1-0 and we really wanted it today (yesterday). They had the possession here in the first half, but I think we regrouped and probably got to them in the second.

“And we were lucky to then finally get the goal that made the difference. But I want to say glory be to God and I want to dedicate this victory to one of our mates who just came today from Europe.”

The two teams, which have almost the same quality kept it tight in all departments and caution was the leading word right from Mercy Mayimbo’s kick-off whistle at exactly 2:59pm. The visitors tried hard to break the ice as they desperately needed to redeem themselves from last week’s 1-0 home defeat to Dynamos. But Claude Mapoka wasn’t just off colour but clueless in front of goal with the lanky forward missing two good opportunities. Mutasa read the game well and made changes in the second half which then tilted the game in the hosts favour. Arthur Banda was a constant menace in the left flank and he was always threatening. And 64 minutes into the game, he beat his marker and delivered a dipping cross which Mlilo turned in. Simba Bhora coach Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu responded by pushing more bodies forward and the Shamva club almost got the equalizer right at the death but MWOS held on to the win. The 2024 champions remained stuck in mid table with nine points in seven games, seven behind leaders CAPS United.

Mpofu was disappointed with the result saying his players made unnecessary mistakes.