adminMIDFIELDER Timire Mamvura scored a contender for the Goal of the Season with a beauty, which is set for replays on SuperSport for some time, to give newboys Tripple B a deserved share of the spoils in this lively Castle Lager Premiership tie at Mandava yesterday.
The former Dynamos man, in his first season with the Beitbridge side, was rewarded for his excellent performance on the afternoon with a goal for the archives, as good as any scored in world football this season, which gave his team a point they thoroughly deserved.
The draw ended a depressing five-game losing streak for the Premiership newboys and helped them win their first point, against the Big Four teams of Dynamos, Highlanders, FC Platinum and CAPS United.
All the matches have been played at Mandava.
Mamvura was the hero of the afternoon, hammering home a screamer on the run, which swerved and curled beyond the reach of the diving Tafadzwa Dube, flying at pace into the far corner, and Tripple B had their point.
Twice they came back from behind, with a hearty performance that was a mockery of their lowly status, and on the balance of passes completed and possession, they went back home to Beitbridge feeling this was one game they could have won.
On a day of some good goals, Ronald Pfumbidzai struck direct from a corner kick, with the last action of the first half, and midfielder Tendai Samanja scored a beauty to give CAPS United the lead once again after the basement club had equalised.
Simon Maingeni drilled home in the 50th minute, for the first equaliser, before Mamvura’s beauty, in the 70th minute, settled the contest.
Pfumbidzai gave CAPS United the lead in the dying moments of the first half when he curled home a ball, straight from a corner kick, that kept its height and curled wickedly, at the very end, to deceive the goalkeeper and find the target.
After having been the fall guy, in the Harare Derby for tripping Clive Kawinga to give away the penalty that made all the difference and gave Dynamos the win, the leftback clearly felt relieved to contribute positively to his team’s cause with this beautiful goal.
Tripple B goalkeeper, Gilbert Chigwandaza, who had a poor game by Premiership standards, could shoulder some of the blame but it was a good effort from the CAPS United wingback.
Pfumbidzai said his team had a chance to win this game.
“We could have won the game but we missed a lot of chances,” said the former Hippo Valley player.
“I am happy to have joined football greats like Moses Chunga who used to score direct from the corner kick.
“I have been working very hard with coach (Taurai) Mangwiro as I always remain with him after training practising to take corner kicks.”
In previous games, Tripple B would have collapsed but this is a different team, under a different coach, Peter Manoti, who was promoted to take over from his boss, Friday Phiri, who was fired this week.
So, instead of collapsing, they battled back and, playing some good football in the process, they turned on the pressure on their more illustrious opponents and were rewarded just after minutes after the break.
‘Keeper Dube, who had another good game between the posts back at the stadium that used to be his home ground when he was turning out for FC Platinum, was at fault for the equaliser as he punched Mamvura’s shot back into, instead of out of, play.
That invited danger and, with his defence at sea, the impressive Maingeni capitalised and drilled the ball home.
Mangwiro responded to this by introducing the pacy Dominic Chungwa for the ineffective Leonard Fiyado and the bustling forward began to make his presence felt as he harassed the Tripple B defence.
Chungwa had a hand in his side’s second goal, laying the ball into the path of Samanja who, after an incredible miss in the first half, atoned for that with a powerful drive, hit first time, that flew low and hard and found its mark in the corner.
But Tripple B never dropped their heads and didn’t panic, playing the ball on the ground, completing most of their passes and easing back into the contest and they were rewarded when Mamvura fired home a beauty for the equaliser.
It’s one of those goals, which probably no ‘keeper in the world would have saved, a rocket that flew in with venom, and Dube was beaten.
“It’s a morale- booster for us after losing a number of matches. It has built our confidence and our future looks bright”, said Manoti, the new Tripple B coach.
Mangwiro badly needed a win and his charges had a number of chances to get it but, in the end, the three points could not be won.
“We blew the chance of collecting maximum points after leading twice but overall I am satisfied”, he said.
He gave Kevin Bulaji his first start but he struggled to make an impact and somehow he lasted the distance.
Teams:
Tripple B: G Chigwandaza, G Fireyi, O Chove, S Dube, T Mukondiwa, S Maingeni, T Mamvura, W Chingodza, M Mavuto, P Makanje(E Chafungamoyo 71st), A Marime
CAPS United: T Dube, T Kumbuyani, T Munyanduri, G Magariro,T Samanja, R Pfumbidzai, A Chiveya, K Bulaji,T Mahori (M Muchenje 69th ), D Rediyoni, , L Fiyado(D Chinungwa 59th).
Online Reporter