Chronicle Editor
Bulawayo City……………………….(1) 1
Cranborne…………………………….(0) 2
Fungai Muderere
Senior Sports Reporter
VISITING army side Cranborne Bullets came from a goal down to post a 2-1 away victory and worsen Bulawayo City relegation worries in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
After finding the opener in the 34th minute courtesy of a Leslie Lunga curling effort from outside the box that beat a diving Tatenda Makoni to his right, Bulawayo City failed to maintain their breathtaking first half dominance over the army side.
The goal was extraordinary, it followed a beautiful exchange of passes in the City’s final third that involved ex-Highlanders and FC Platinum midfielder Welcome “Waroowa” Ndiweni, Chrispen Machisi and veteran Obadiah Tarumbwa who obliged by brilliantly setting up Lunga. The latter gratefully and calmly let loose a rising ball that even ejected Highlanders players from their seats to salute a goal that was arguably made in heaven and perfected on earth.
Bosso players watched the match between the two sides ahead of this afternoon’s fixture against Triangle at the same venue.
In the second stanza, City fizzled out and Cranborne Bullets, just like true soldiers, began to command and dictate the pace of the game and it was no wonder that in the 51st minute they found the equaliser through the boot of Melusi Doley.
Doley capitalised on a poor show from Amakhosi goalminder Bhekimpilo Ncube who punched a well taken Jarrison Selemani free kick from outside the 18-yard box into his path and he unleashed a slug that nestled into the top left side corner.
To maintain their ascendency, in the 63rd minute the Nesbert Saruchera led Cranborne technical department made a triple substitution introducing McLint Namakhoma, Meke Tinotenda and Kingsley Meremba for Marlvern Mudzuka, Kudakwashe Chidoza and Selemani respectively.
It was a move that seemed to pay off for the army side as it completely shut out Ndiweni and Machisi and Melikhaya Ncube in the middle of the park.
However, Bullet’s final master stroke substitution came in the 73rd minute when they introduced Yemmy Matembedze for Brian Muzondiwa. With his first touch of the ball, Matembedze’s well taken volley from a Meke inviting cross sealed an all-important victory for Saruchera’s men who went one place up to position 11 with 34 points to ease their relegation qualms with seven games to go.
“We are not yet clearly safe from relegation. We need to collect maximum points in our next two or three games. When we went a goal down, I told the boys on the need to win the game. I told them if we lose the game, we will be playing Division One football next year and I am happy the boy rose to the occasion,” said an ecstatic Saruchera.
His opposite number Farai Tawarechera was a disappointed man blaming his boys for not sticking to the basics.
“I don’t think we crumbled in this match. We gave in to soft goals. It’s a question of not doing basic things. Simplicity is the best in a game of football. It’s really a disappointing loss. Last weekend we didn’t play well, but today (yesterday) we did everything well. We should have won this game. Our duty as coaches is to create chances or openings and our players’ job is finishing which they failed to do. We are not throwing in the towel,” said Tawarechera.
From the result City went a place down to number 16 and glued on 24 points, four ahead of bottom placed Whawha. – @FungaiMuderere
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