adminGunners came into the match having lost the reverse fixture at Lafarge with an identical scoreline just before the break.
Chando Kupisa, who parted ways with Leonard Fiyado, Cliff Sekete, Hardlife Zvirekwi and Byron Madzokere fielded eight new players who gave a good spirited second half performance.
In the end it was Shabanie who controlled the proceedings in a one-sided match that the miners could have won by a rugby scoreline.
Former Masvingo hitman Pervington Zimunya was on target in the 26th minute.
Phillimon Mudena made a solo run on the left and squared the ball to Zimunya who spotted Tarisai Rukanda. The burly 28-year-old who tormented the Gunners defence all afternoon obliged with a return pass to Zimunya after forcing goalkeeper Prosper Chigumba to come off his line. The pencil slim forward then slotted the ball home.
Rukanda who did all the dirty work finally found the net in the 61st minute. Super substitute Caleb Masocha tormented the Gunners defenders on the right and fed Rukanda whose shot hit the target with Chigumba a well beaten man.
Rukanda however had all the reasons to feel robbed when as early as the first minute he roasted his marker on the left and let go a stinger that hit the inside of the crossbar but the match official Makonese Masakadza who had a good afternoon assisted by Bernard Matenga did not give the asbestos miners a goal.
Leading goalscorer Maziwisa had his effort blocked for a corner by Chigumba in the second minute when he was fed in the box by Rukanda and the visitor’s defenders cleared the ball to safety.
Chigumba, who had a busy afternoon, managed to keep the scoreline respectable when he saved yet another effort in the box by Zimunya following good work from Rukanda.
With just three minutes before the breather Zimunya found himself face to face with the Gunners goal minder but he directed his header over the bar with the visitors’ defenders at sixes and sevens.
Gunners came to life in the second period following the introduction of Ishmael Lawe.
The player was very forceful and the nearly scored in the the 53rd minute when he reacted to a pass from Willard Gondo but Mazingi was up to the task denying him a goal from a shot at the edge of the area.
Masocha had the miss of the day in the 75th minute. Erea Phiri, who dictated pace in the midfield with Simon Choenda, fed the burly striker who raced towards goal and with Maziwisa in support he opted to shoot at goal blazing his effort over the bar when it looked easier to score.
Gunners then sent another chance begging in the 76th minute. Gondo won possession and fed Elvis Gutuza in the six-yard box but Mazingi did well to stop the effort with no maroon shirt in sight.
He was to shake his head in disbelief in the 81st minute when he headed a corner from the right by Farai Madora.
He out jumped the Shabanie defence and directed his header to the left but Mazingi blocked the effort with his feet and Phillip Sithole cleared.
Smart Muchabayiwa, William Ngonya, Mazingi, Mudena and their captain Rodney Mware played well in defence. Muchabayiwa however gave Castle Lager some work when his clearance from a Gunners attack destroyed the visitors’ bench.
“The game was one sided as I had no challenge. There is nothing much I can say nekuti ndanga ndichingoona vapfanha vangu anaMaziwisa vachigona chete.
“Gunners only managed to knock the ball around but hapana zvavanga vachiita. I want to finish the league at respectable position because talking of the championship Highlanders ichihwina 7-1 zvinenge zvakatooma,” said Luke Masomere.
Thanks Tengwe, the Gunners mentor, had a brave face. “I had young players who gifted Shabanie with two soft goals as it was their first league match. We played well in the second half and we will avoid relegation.
“I am now focused on the Hwange match which I think will be tough after we beat them in their backyard,” he said.
Teams:
Shabanie Mine: R Mazingi,P Zimunya(C Masocha 51st),S Choenda,P Mudena, P Sithole (B Mbawarira 89th ),E Phiri,R Mware,N Maziwisa (F Kanda 90th ),T Rukanda,S Muchabayiwa,W Ngonya
Gunners: P Chigumba,P Chinungwa,F Madora,W Gondo,A Gwatidzo(E Gutuza 59th),J Jangano,M Demera,C Makuruva(F Chirinda 46th),M Kunyarimwe,G Goriyati,W Kamudyariwo(I Lawe 46th )
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu