Online Reporter
Robson Sharuko
Metros Editor
NINE games, NINE wins, NINE clean sheets and all the opponents conceding, at least, two goals in those games.
If Scottland go on to retain the championship, they will look at this purple patch as the golden phase which made all the difference.
With a dozen matches to go before the end of the season, Norman Mapeza and his men enjoy a healthy seven-point lead at the top of the Castle Lager Premiership table.
After a difficult start to the season, in which Mapeza took time to come up with his best starting XI, the champions have been relentless since the coach settled for the men who should always start the battles.
The BMW striking combination of Khama Billiat the Musona brothers – Knowledge and Walter – has been destructive since Mapeza settled for the trio to lead the attack.
Playing Billiat as the central attacking spearhead would have been a laughable option for many coaches. But Mapeza has found a way to blend the diminutive forward into that role with deadly consequences for the opposition.
This is not how the script started at the beginning of the season.
Tymon Machope, the club’s leading goal-scorer last year, was the preferred choice in that leading role as an old-fashioned bulldozing number nine.
Somewhere along the line, things didn’t click as expected.
And, the conversion of Billiat into someone who can float in from the middle of the attacking channels has proved a masterstroke for Mapeza.
Walter is the captain of the team but his brother Knowledge is the real leader of this pack.
And, his influence, not only when he has the ball but also when he is without the ball, is very clear.
He wears his coach’s shirt, on the pitch, the man who leads his teammates not with animated stunts but with a cool and composed head in pursuit for success.
The MBW combination has scored 18 of the 25 goals, which Scottland have scored, in the past nine games, which the champions have won without conceding a goal.
Knowledge has scored eight of the goals, Billiat has scored five of the goals while Walter has scored three of the goals.
The other seven have come from their teammates – Moses Chidolo leading the way with three goals, during this golden spell, while Panashe Mutimbanyoka, Isaaka Mohamed, Mthokozisi Msebe and Khwakhe Twala – have also been on target.
Their defence, who are the unsung heroes of their campaign, has not conceded a goal during those 810 minutes, which translates to 13-and-half hours of football.
It’s worth mentioning that when Scottland beat Chicken Inn 2-0 at Barbourfields, to start this amazing run of NINE wins in NINE games, Hardrock were top of the table.
Nine games later, Scottland are not only top of the table but have a SEVEN-POINT lead.
During the same period, Hardrock have won four, drawn three and lost two – against Scottland and Dynamos – the two teams with which they share the top three positions on the table.
In those two games, the Kwekwe side conceded four goals while Scottland have not conceded a goal in nine games.
The 15 points they have picked, in the past nine games, show that they have dropped a dozen points during the same period while Scottland have not dropped even one point.
Dynamos have actually done better than Hardrock in the past nine games.
Like Scottland, the Glamour Boys are unbeaten in those nine games, they have won five and drawn four, outscored Hardrock by scoring 18 goals and taking 19 out of a possible 27 points.
Their record could have been better if they had not conceded a last-gasp equaliser, in a 2-2 draw against Manica Diamonds, and they had not been held to a goalless draw at home by Bulawayo Chiefs.
Scottland’s next assignment is a tough away fixture at Barbourfields against Highlanders on Sunday.
But, after that, they will just travel three more times out of Harare to face Simba Bhora, ZPC Kariba and Triangle, in their remaining 11 league matches.
Eight of those matches will be at Rufaro – whether they are home or away.
