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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Chicken Inn juggernaut continued to roll at the weekend as the Game Cocks extended their unbeaten run to seven games by claiming the scalp of Black Rhinos to shoot to the top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League table.

The 2015 champions pipped Rhinos 1-0 in Harare, with skipper Moses Jackson scoring the priceless goal.

It was Chicken Inn’s 10th 1-0 score line win out of 14 victories they have registered from 22 games.

Triangle United, Hwange, Yadah FC, Highlanders, Shabanie Mine, Tsholotsho FC, Bantu Rovers and Bulawayo City have all suffered 1-0 losses to Chicken Inn in the current campaign.

Chicken Inn’s biggest scoring win was on the opening day of the season when they hammered Rovers 5-0.

Multi-championship winning coach Rahman Gumbo has pronounced that he isn’t concerned about winning “big” as all he wants are maximum points.

“If we can collect maximum points and go on to win the title because of 1-0 score lines, I’m happy. The players are doing a fantastic job in managing to defend the 1-0 score lines and I can’t ask for more,” Gumbo said.

After 22 rounds, Chicken Inn are at the top with 45 points, two ahead of second-placed Ngezi Platinum Stars, who surrendered top spot following a heavy 0-3 loss to Caps United.

Goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, who has conceded nine times in 22 games, skipper Jackson and wingbacks Divine Lunga and Passmore Bernard have been impressive in the Game Cocks’ quest to wrest the league crown from Caps.

Innocent Mucheneka’s transition from the defensive zone into attack and back has been breathtaking. The midfielder, signed from Hwange at the beginning of the season, is a real Soccer Star of the Year contender.

Chicken Inn need to keep their cool and avoid complacency if they are to claim their second title in three seasons.

Teams that threaten Chicken Inn’s title march include Ngezi, third-placed FC Platinum and Dynamos. Tonderai Ndiraya, the Ngezi coach, felt that complacency, following four-consecutive wins leading into Sunday’s shock 0-3 loss to Caps, got the better of his players.

“We forgot to play football and Caps were more hungry than us. Maybe those four consecutive wins gave us some comfort and we forgot to play football. We need to lift ourselves from this huge setback. Our defending was bad and you don’t do that when you’re chasing the championship. Right now we live to fight another day and prepare for our next game against Highlanders, which is a tough encounter,” Ndiraya said.

Ngezi will need their players like Walter Mukanga, who has been a consistent performer alongside Patson Jaure, Godknows Muwrira, Terrence Dzukamanja and Liberty Chakoroma, to restore their championship hopes.

Winston Mhango’s strike from the penalty spot powered FC Platinum to a 1-0 win over Triangle to take their points’ tally to 42, just three behind Chicken Inn.

However, FC Platinum might find themselves relegated into fourth place in the event that Dynamos beat How Mine on Thursday.

Dynamos are fourth on the table and travel to Bulawayo to face the gold miners in a re-arranged fixture and will be hoping to return to the capital with maximum points.

DeMbare are on 39 points with three games in hand.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: Highlanders play host to Tsholotsho, while Caps are at home to Black Rhinos at the National Sports Stadium.

Results

Saturday: Yadah FC 1-0 Chapungu, Black Rhinos 0-1 Chicken Inn, Bulawayo City 1-0 Harare City.

Sunday: Caps United 3-0 Ngezi Platinum, Hwange v Bantu Rovers (POSTPONED), Triangle United 0-1 FC Platinum, Shabanie Mine 0-1 ZPC Kariba, How Mine v Dynamos (POSTPONED), Highlanders v Tsholotsho FC (POSTPONED).

Rearranged fixtures

Tomorrow: Highlanders v Tsholotsho FC (Barbourfields), Caps United v Black Rhinos (National Sports Stadium).

Thursday: How Mine v Dynamos (Barbourfields).

*match abandoned.

@ZililoR