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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
Dynamos 1-1 Chicken Inn
CHICKEN Inn defender Brian Mbiriri scored what could contend for the goal of the season award to help his side rally back into the game and claim a share of the spoils against defending champions Dynamos at Gwanzura yesterday.
Mbiriri denied the Glamour Boys the chance to climb to the top of the table when he volleyed home a rocket from a distance as DeMbare tried to clear their lines from a corner kick in the 61st minute.

Earlier on, Roderick Mutuma had converted from the penalty spot to put the hosts in the driving seat soon after the restart. But the Gamecocks displayed an undying fighting spirit and they deservedly went home with a point after dominating most of the exchanges especially in the second half.

Veteran midfielder Clemence Matawu was instrumental in the engine room where he combined brilliantly with Bekimpilo Ncube, Toto Banda and Brian Juru to dwarf the Dynamos midfield which solely missed injured Stephen Alimenda.

The highlight of the day, though, was the strike by Mbiriri, which came when no one expected midway through the second half as Dynamos were already slowing down the pace of the game in anticipation of a narrow win.

The Chicken Inn man, who had ominously come close when he forced a good save from Artwell Mukandi in the third minute with a ferocious freekick, this time was perfectly positioned and unmarked when the ball fell graciously in his path, way outside the box.

His response was quick and electric as he connected first time a zooming shot that could have troubled even the best goalkeeper in the world into the top corner.

“Brian Mbiriri is free-kick specialists and he shot very well at goal. So I was not very surprised when he scored. It was a great goal,” said Chicken Inn coach, Joey Antipas.

However, the Gamecocks, who had lost four straight matches, had little comfort despite picking their first point since June 28 when they ironically held the Glamour Boys to a goalless draw in Bulawayo.

Their coach Antipas has been battling to contain the pressure and their woes were not made any better following wins by Triangle, Chapungu and Black Rhinos. The Gamecocks dropped three places and are now in the relegation zone with 21 points, 11 adrift of leaders Highlanders.  Antipas nonetheless was encouraged by the team’s performance.

“I would say we had a good game, we had lot of shots on target but the goalkeeper did well. The boys put up a good fighting spirit and I just hope we can continue this way in our coming games. I should say this is a welcome point after four defeats in a row.

“We need to regroup and try to get our confidence levels high again. I believe if we can reproduce this type of performance and carry on in the same vein we can push ourselves up on the table,” said Antipas.

The Gamecocks were the first to test their opponents with their dead ball specialist Mbiriri but his threatening freekick found goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi alert three minutes into the game.

Then Dynamos midfielder Ronald Chitiyo gave the visitors’ youthful goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze a wakeup call in the 15th minute when he unleashed a pile drive which was tipped over the bar for corner kick.
Injuries and suspensions forced DeMbare coach Callisto Pasuwa to chop and change his side yesterday. The team looked different without Alimenda in the midfield, leftback Ocean Mushure and Blessing Moyo who was suspended for the match.

Congolese forward Fabrice Mbimba was given his first starting place while Oscar Machapa came in for Moyo after a long layoff.
Mbimba, although he looks like he needs more refining, did not disappoint much as he was involved in most of the DeMbare moves and his skill immediately won him many hearts among the Dynamos faithful.

The Congolese import had a hand in DeMbare’s opener when referee Tawanda Majoni adjudged that defender Lawrence Mhlanga used his hand to stop his goal-bound shot soon after the interval. Chicken Inn players however disputed the penalty but the referee stood his ground.

Mutuma took the responsibility and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way in the 49th minute.
Mbimba could also count himself unlucky after his header was parried out by the keeper in the 64th minute after Chicken Inn had levelled the scores.

Mutuma had a good chance to restore DeMbare’s lead when the keeper spilled substitute Russell Madamombe’s free kick into his path in the 75th minute but the striker somehow sent his effort over the bar from point-blank range.

Pasuwa was not happy with his team’s performance as they now brace for the big match against Highlanders at Barbourfields this Saturday.

DeMbare were coming from a goalless draw at Black Rhinos and they were hoping to maximise on home advantage to prop up their title fight. Highlanders still lead the table despite losing 1-0 to Black Rhinos yesterday.

DeMbare are third behind ZPC Kariba although the trio share 32 points.
Pasuwa said they had made too many changes to their team and believes that affected their rhythm.

“Most of the time we were second to the ball. We should go back to practise more at training sessions so that we can come up with a compact team,” said Pasuwa. “There were so many changes in the team. So I think it’s match fitness (lacking) to some of the guys who haven’t been playing of late. We have some players who are injured and we have had to change the team.”