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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
How Mine 0-6 Dynamos
FORMER champions Dynamos routed How Mine to send a huge statement of intent in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League championship race.

DeMbare capitalised on How Mine’s in-house problems that saw senior players embarking on industrial action over wages, forcing the gold miners to field a weakened side for yesterday’s encounter at Barbourfields Stadium.

How Mine fielded only three regular first team players Mukundika Sakala, Marvelous Mukumba and Toto Banda.

They were without goalkeepers Donovan Bernard and Munyaradzi Diya, left-back Brian Mbiriri, central defender Kudzai Chideu, utility players Tsepo Ranthokoane, Milton Ncube and Frank Makarati, midfielders Timothy January, Pasca Manhanga, Peter Moyo and Adolf Muganyi as well as striker Kuda Musharu.

The victory saw Dynamos dislodging FC Platinum from position third place on the league table, despite the sides being tied on 42 points. DeMbare have a better goal difference and two games in hand over the platinum miners.

The rout took DeMbare to within three points of log leaders Chicken Inn.

The visitors kept their cool and ignored the How Mine strike that overshadowed the build-up to the match and displayed a business like performance against the gold miners’ fringe players.

The visitors forced five corner kicks inside the opening 25 minutes and were duly rewarded for their persistency in the 25th minute when Denver Mukamba capitalised on a Nelson Tachi miscue to fire past How Mine third choice goalkeeper Future Sibanda.

Gift Saunyama doubled Dynamos’ lead 11 minutes later by getting to the end of a sizzling build-up that started with pint-sized midfielder Cleopas Kapupurika leaving a number of How Mine players for dead.

He delivered a cross into the box that Mukamba dummied. The ball fell to Christian Epoupa, who laid it into the path of an onrushing Saunyama, whose first time grounder beat Sibanda.

Epoupa scored Dynamos’ third goal from the penalty spot in the 38th minute after Tachi hacked Kapupurika inside the box.

Epoupa completed his brace on the stroke of halftime with a grounder to send DeMbare’s fans into frenzy.

How Mine, who went into yesterday’s game without training, couldn’t cope with the Dynamos’ raids and paid dearly for failing to clear a 63rd corner kick, leaving defender Lincoln Zvasiya to hit the net from the blind side.

Three minutes later, Mukamba grabbed his brace with a grass cutter after being set up by Peace Makaha.

An elated Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa was happy with his team’s ruthlessness.

“This is the highest win of the season and the positive thing is that we didn’t concede. This victory pushes us into the mix and if we continue winning, we will have our destiny in our hands,” said Mutasa.

How Mine coach Kelvin Kaindu described yesterday’s post-match conference as “one of the most difficult” in his career and said it was always going to be difficult playing against Dynamos without their striking regular players.

“We laboured to get the required seven players required by Fifa to play a match and having not trained coming into the game made it difficult. Honestly sitting on the bench and seeing six goals going past your keeper isn’t good. Imagine the humiliation. The issue of using these youngsters really backfired and as a coach I want to protect the integrity of the sponsors, but the record will stay. No one will remember that we lost having gone for the game without training,” Kaindu said.

Regarding the strike, Kaindu said: “I’m not the spokesperson of the club, but what I can say is things haven’t been easy for most of the clubs. We appreciate sponsors for coming on board, but don’t know what tomorrow will be. I also appreciate the way the boys have played for the club and I think the pressure of being responsible people with families got the better of them. The tricky thing is I don’t know who will be in when we play our next game at the weekend,” said Kaindu.

How Mine play Bantu Rovers on Sunday.

Teams

How Mine: Future Sibanda, Tanaka Chanengeta, Brighton Banda, Makundika Sakala, Nelson Tachi (Praise Tonha, 58th minute), Marvelous Mukumba, Toto Banda, Godfrey Nguwodzawo, Nqobile Ndlovu (69th minute), Tinashe Makanda, Kudakwashe Muronza

Dynamos: Tonderai Mateyaunga, Peace Makaha, Phakamani Dube, Lincoln Zvasiya, Obey Mwerahari, Tichaona Chipunza, Gift Saunyama (Godfrey Mukambi, 75th minute), Cleopas Kapupurika (59th minute), Manuel Mandiranga, Christian Epoupa (Quality Kangadze, 73rd minute).