Saints bring Blue Ribbon crashing down to earth

BLUE Ribbon were brought crashing down by a committed Zimbabwe Saints in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League that was played before a small but lively crowd at White City Stadium yesterday.
It was a game in which the match officials stole the limelight for the wrong reasons that was capped by a dramatic decision that denied Chikwata their second goal right at the end of the match. Beaven Chikaka out paced his marker and before slotting the ball passed a bemused Earnmore Hamandishe in goals for the visitors.
To everyone’s surprise the first assistant referee Thomas Kusosa raised his flag for offside.
“That was a clear offside,” said Kusosa at the end of the match when quizzed to justify his rather strange decision.
It was Zimbabwe Saints who got off the blocks with some nice passes especially when Ntokozo Tshuma and former Dynamos player Tafadzwa Maingire were in possession.
One of the early raids resulted in Chikwata getting a free kick just outside the box on the left side.
A harmless looking curler was then brought in by Chitemu and Hamandishe spilled it into the path of an alert Ngonizashe Murisa sending the Chikwata family into a frenzy as early as the eighth minute.
Zimbabwe Saints continued piling on the pressure, not perturbed by the fact that their opponents claimed the scalps of high scoring CAPS United last Thursday.
The visitors realised the danger of letting their hosts do as they pleased and they then swamped the midfield with former Mwana Africa midfielder Daniel Kamunenga exerting his authority with some deft touches.
They could not manage to break the Zimbabwe Saints defence which was well marshaled by the ever alert Danisa Phiri and Chipo Tsodzo.
Due to their hunger for the equaliser, Micheck Chidzambwa’s boys were always in danger of being caught on counter-attacks and it did happen on 23 minutes.
Quick passes between Castro Ndebele and Tshuma resulted in the latter finding space on the far right before letting go a bullet that unfortunately went over the bar.
Blue Ribbon, urged on by their singing travelling party, remained composed and convinced many at the Stadium that their victory over Makepekepe was not a fluke and certainly they have more sensational wins coming their way if they remain focussed.
Maingire could have added his name on the score sheet after 41 minutes but he rushed his effort only to trouble innocent birds in the skies.
The second half was a see-saw affair as players were responding to their coaches’ haltime instructions.
Chikwata were more on the defensive while Blue Ribbon upped their game looking for that elusive equaliser which however never came.
“We came prepared for the game although ofcourse we still need to work on one or two grey areas,” said a happy Khumalo.
His counterpart Chidzambwa conceaded defeat but emphasised that they gave Zimbabwe Saints the goal.
“They did not work for that goal, we gave it to them.
“We however did not play our usual game I guess that is how football is, you can not always win every games,” said Chidzambwa.
Teams:
Zimbabwe Saints:
M Diya, P Sithole, V Chitemu, N Murisa, C Tsodzo, T Maingire, N Tshuma, C Ndebele (J Nyama 71 min), G Phiri (P Muzondi 51min), N Murisa, B Chikaka (S Gate 89)
Blue Ribbon:
E Hamandishe, C Boroma, C Dickson, T Kumbuyani, C Kamhapa, J Jam, D Kamunenga, F Kuswatuka (M Mabhachi 71min), V Mukudo, E Phiri, E Mwinga (L Makwira 71min).