Yadah battle for priceless point

Tobias Mandoreba in HWANGE
Hwange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Yadah Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0
A STUBBORN Yadah Stars gave their all in this basement battle and even had a goal disallowed in the second half, before settling for a priceless point at the Colliery yesterday. The Harare side, who have punched above their weight in recent weeks, prevented the hosts from securing a third straight Castle Lager Premiership victory and, in the process, brightened their chances of a dance with the top-flight league next year. Hwange had beaten Bulawayo City and How Mine with identical 1-0 winning margins in their last two league matches and were hoping to make it a third victory on the bounce.

But they found resistance from the Harare side in a match played under punishing conditions in a heatwave that made life difficult for the players. The two teams also shared the spoils in the reverse tie in Harare at the National Sports Stadium. Yadah Stars’ Samuel Mafukidze had a good game between the posts. The visitors could have grabbed a goal in the second minute after a quick attack resulted in Rodreck Mutuma sending in a teasing cross into the box which was completely missed by Moses Demera in front of an empty net.

This jolted Hwange into life, but they could not convert the chances. The teams then traded punches with the visitors again coming close on the quarter hour mark with Demera’s execution in front of goal far much better this time around only for his stinging shot to be parried away by impressive young Hwange goalkeeper Collen Phiri.

Yadah thought their second half spirited effort had paid off in the 61st minute when Johannes Sibanda hit the back of the net, but his effort was ruled offside by second assistant referee Prince Khumalo after the forward pounced on a spill by Phiri. Hwange substitute Shepherd Gadzikwa fluffed a golden opportunity to grab the winner in the last minute, but he miscued his effort from barely two metres out.

“Obviously I am not happy for the two points dropped as we had many chances today. Credit to the Yadah goalkeeper for the saves, but we will continue fighting,” said Hwange coach Bigboy Mawiwi. Yadah Stars coach Thomas Ruzive praised his charges for the big point away from home. “Credit to the boys for the brave display under such conditions. It gives us encouragement going forward,” he said.

Teams
Hwange : C Phiri; K Matake; G Ndlovu; C Dicksen; A Chuma; C Muleya( E Mekiwa 75th min); O Lungu(S Gadzikwa 60th min); M Mekiwa; N Ziwini; D Murimba(C Muvuti 66th min); J Kaunda

Yadah Stars: S Mafukidze; M Diro; J Chitereki; J Dzingai; B Madzokere; B Mapfumo; D Dauda; M Musiyakuvi; J Sibanda( W Kamudyariwa 81st min); M Demera; R Mutuma( M Chiwara 81st min).