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Ray Bande in MUTARE
Manica Diamonds………………………………….(0) 1
Chicken Inn……………………………………………..0
MANICA Diamonds coach Jairos Tapera was a dead man walking when he came for yesterday’s Castle Lager Premiership match against Chicken at Sakubva.
However, his team’s triumph, by a solitary goal, was all that was needed to save his job.
The Mutare Premiership outfit collected their first set of maximum points in a match that their opponents, Chicken Inn, lost for the first time, having won once and drawn on three occasions.
Coming into yesterday’s match, Manica Diamonds lost two matches and drawn in as many matches.
The hosts showed determination to take the game to their opponents from the first whistle with a series of raids but their strikeforce lacked the cutting edge in front of goal.
Manica Diamonds had a perfect scoring chance in the 40th minute when striker Tawanda Macheke intercepted a back pass and charged towards goal, did well to dribble past defender Itai Mabunu but failed to beat goalkeeper Donovan Bernard.
Manica Diamonds came back after the breather with the same tempo.
Resilience finally paid off for Tapera’s team in the 72nd minute when lively second half substitute Micheal scored.
The goal did not go down well with the Chicken Inn technical department whose kit manager Guide Goddard was shown a red card for protesting by referee Lawrence Zimondi.
Manica Diamonds assistant coach Tafadzwa Mashiri said:
“This was a hard-fought triumph. We are happy to have finally collected our first set of maximum points.
“Things were not really good for us and I am happy that we managed to deliver.”
Chicken Inn coach, Joey Antipas, was a livid man after the match.
“I think I agree with Lloyd Chitembwe when he said PSL is now comic because of poor officiating. What I say the poor match officiating is disappointing. From the first whistle we were in trouble.
“Even if you look at the goal they scored, the ball went out and referee says play on until they scored. This is just atrocious.”
Bongani Ndlovu
Mathew Masinge