Chronicle Editor
Tobias Mandoreba, Hwange Correspondent
Home side Hwange FC learnt the hard way that football matches are won by scoring goals after they wasted a glut of chances to end up sharing the spoils with visiting Simba Bhora after a Castle Lager Premier Soccer league played at the Colliery Stadium yesterday.
The coalminers indeed played like a team that is feeling the heat of being close to the drop zone in the league race with some sublime and flowing football only to be let down by lack of precision in front of goal.
The tale of blown opportunities for Chipangano started in the 18th minute when youthful Marcelline Mlilo’s scorching piledriver from the edge of the box proved too hot to handle for Simba Bhora goalkeeper Simba Chinani who parried the effort to safety.
Four minutes later it was the turn of Sherpard Gadzikwa to take aim at goal but again the goalminder was alert to danger as he smothered his effort to leave the visitors bench heaving a huge sigh of relief.
Chipangano continued to turn the screws and on the half hour mark, young midfielder Blessing Ngoma, who had an impressive outing yesterday, held his head in disbelief as his rasping volley missed the crossbar by a few inches.
Hwange continued to harass the visitors in the last half especially after the introduction of Brendon Rendo, who came in for Pritchard Mpelele four minutes after the breather as Rendo initiated deadly Hwange attacks one after the other but the goal proved elusive much to the frustration of the Hwange faithfuls.
The fans will remember Rendo’s dazzling solo move 10 minutes from the end when he sliced through the Simba defence like a hot knife on butter and laid a sitter for substitute Courage Sibanda who fluffed with the goalkeeper to beat.
Even the introduction of veteran Ronald Chitiyo 30 minutes from the end for Simbarashe Maramwidze could not tilt the game for the visitors as they continued to play second fiddle to the coalminers and ended up resorting to time wasting to safeguard the precious point.
Nation Dube’s mood was down after the game as he reckons they didn’t take their chances but is hopeful that the coalminers will continue to fight and improve on the standings in the upcoming games.
His opposite number Tonderayi Ndiraya was happy for the point garnered away from home and remains optimistic that his team would escape the dreaded chop come end of season.
TEAMS
HWANGE: N Madeya; J Mumpande; R Maphosa; G Goriyati; T Goredema; S Gadzikwa (T Muvhuti 83th minute); B Ngoma ( L Mutoma 83th minute) ; L Sibanda; C Nkomo (J Chivasa 67rd minute) ; P Mpelele ( B Rendo 49th minute); M Mlilo ( C Sibanda 67th minute)
SIMBA BHORA: S Chinani; R Kangadzi; P Jaure; A Manenji; S Maramwidze( R Chitiyo 61st minute) : I Nyanhi; W Tafa; T Chipunza; V Musarurwa ( S Chatikobo 79th minute) ; V Kabwe ( N Manyazi 74th minute) T Balakasi ( P Chigukupati 74th minute)
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