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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS coach Tonderai Ndiraya has predicted a tough race in the Castle Lager Premiership football championship race after the mid-season break following a tight run by the top three teams ahead of the three-week mid-season break that began at the weekend.
The Glamour Boys finished the first half of the season on a high following the morale-boosting 3-0 win over traditional rivals CAPS United in the Harare Derby at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The Glamour Boys ended a three-match win-less run and maintained their second place in the race as teams embarked on the mid-season break that began at the weekend.
They had been dislodged from second place by reigning champions FC Platinum overnight, after the resurgent platinum miners had edged hosts Cranborne Bullets 1-0 at Sakubva on Saturday.
Log leaders Chicken Inn also kept their championship interests intact with a hard fought 1-0 win away to Triangle. This means four points separate the top three teams midway through the season.
Chicken Inn currently lead the race with 35 points, one ahead of DeMbare while FC Platinum have made significant gains after winning their last four games to end the half threateningly on 31 points.
Ndiraya was happy with how his side just managed to keep up with the leading pack.
DeMbare recovered from a disappointing run of three games, which had seen pressure piling on the giants again, especially as FC Platinum were not taking any prisoners.
The break will be key for the Glamour Boys to refresh and restrategise.
“Overall, I am quite happy. I am quite excited and we look forward to the break with a lot of ease because we will not have much time,” said Ndiraya.
“Maybe one week before we come back again to prepare for the second round matches. So it’s been a journey, difficult one but one which we are really excited about and our wish if we could push more or better than what we did in the first round matches, it will be exciting.
“I am sure the second round matches will be exciting because of the focus on the finish line. I think we have put ourselves in a very good position to fight to get to the finish line.”
Dynamos had not won a match in their last three outings against Bulawayo City, Highlanders and Herentals but on Sunday they registered their biggest win this season.
It is always a sweet victory for DeMbare every time they get the better of Makepekepe. But scoring three without conceding made it special for Ndiraya’s men who had last won the Harare Derby by a similar margin back in 2012.
Ndiraya was also happy this was one of the best starts to the season by Dynamos in the last decade. They have been trying to stabilise their ship and on Sunday they missed one of their star players, Bill Antonio, who sat out his second match on suspension following the red card incident against Highlanders in Bulawayo.
On Sunday, Issa Sadiki, Ralph Kawondera and Frank Makarati gave them the goals. Teenage midfielder Junior Makunike was also thrown into the fray and he acquitted himself well on the big stage.
While the break has been welcomed by the giants as a necessity, Ndiraya was also concerned the 20-day recess could come with negative impact on his team’s form.
“It’s normally a huge challenge, especially with our players to get them back into the mood again after going for such a long break.
“That’s why I said we will not have much time to rest; we have to quickly come back and start working again so that we don’t lose the rhythm.
“I also think it’s a much needed rest so that we go and refresh but I would have really wanted us to keep on playing. I thought after this win (against CAPS United) it was going to perhaps help us go on a winning run but again we are going to stop.
“This is what is on the offing. There is nothing we can do about it. We just have to plan and make sure we come back very much prepared, even more than what we were for the first round matches. Let’s see what happens but we are not going to rest much,” said Ndiraya.
Online Reporter