admin
Ray Bande in Mutare
Manica Diamonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 0
TelOne FC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 0
FORMER log leaders Manica Diamonds dropped two crucial points at home as they were held to a goalless draw by relegation-threatened TelOne in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Sakubva yesterday.
They were hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat at Simba Bhora but Gem Boys coach Jairos Tapera watched in agony as his players took turns to miss clear-cut scoring opportunities in a match they could have won by a wide margin.
Even though Manica Diamonds dominated the encounter, they somehow also succumbed to some frustrating delaying tactics by the visiting side.
So determined to get just a point was TelOne to the extent that referee Israel Nhevero was forced to flash a yellow card to goalkeeper Chris Mverechena for his delaying antics.
The visitors went back home satisfied with the result after their annoying delaying tactics paid off.
No wonder, their coach, Hebert Maruwa, who earned himself a yellow card in the second half for unsporting behaviour, expressed satisfaction in a post-match interview.
“I am happy with the result. It is not easy getting a point against Manica Diamonds in their backyard. They are a good side. However, at the end of the day, I am satisfied with the result we got. We are going ahead with our campaign from here with confidence and hope to move away from the relegation zone with each passing week,” said Maruwa.
Tapera said: “It is always difficult to play the game of football against a team that is trying to frustrate the opponent at every given chance. However, we did well in defending to avoid defeat.
With a bit of luck, we could have won by a wide margin since we created numerous scoring chances but failed to convert.”
TelOne have collected four points from Manica Diamonds after winning the reverse fixture at Bata Stadium.
Online Reporter