Hwange, DeMbare share spoils in tight contest Nation Dube
Nation Dube

Nation Dube

Tobias Mandoreba Hwange Sports Correspondent
Hwange 1-1 Dynamos
A red hot Hwange and visitors Dynamos played some spectacular football before a full house in a cliff-hanger Premiership match at the Colliery Stadium yesterday.

The coalminers controlled the first half with some breathtaking football and scored in the 8th minute through a stunning strike by left back Munyaradzi Mungadze.

Mungadze latched onto a clever flick by striker Gilbert Zulu before powering home a screamer that appeared to swerve in mid-air, leaving DeMbare goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva clutching thin air.

The goal drove the Dynamos fans, who had painted the small coal mining town blue and white from the early hours of yesterday blaring car horns, into deathly silence.

The coalminers had started the match on a high with anchorman Craven Banda’s deflected shot almost deceiving the impressive goalie Mukuruva in the sixth minute, but he recovered in time to thwart the danger.

However, there was nothing Mukuruva could have done to stop Mungadze’s rocket, which put Hwange in the driving seat two minutes later.

The coalminers did not sit back after the breakthrough and could easily have doubled their advantage on the quarter hour mark, but an alert Mukuruva denied Farai Vimisai from close range.

About a minute later, Hwange goalminder Takabva Mawaya almost gifted the Glamour Boys an equaliser when his miscued clearance fell onto the path of an unmarked Walter Mukanga, who disappointingly blazed his effort over the bar with the keeper at sea.

Hwange continued to pile on the pressure, but Mukuruva proved the stumbling block by producing some stunning saves.

In the 22nd minute, the goalie went airborne to push out a blistering 30-metre pile driver by Vimisai for a corner.

Although the home team dominated the first stanza, Dynamos could have grabbed an equaliser 10 minutes before the breather through a free kick by Ocean Mushure, but Hwange goalie Mawaya summoned all his reflexes to push it out for a corner with the blue and white masses already celebrating.

However, the Harare giants came back a rejuvenated side after the breather and quickly grabbed an equaliser three minutes into the second half.

Hwange defender Andrew Chuma inexplicably stumbled to the ground in an attempt to clear a harmless looking ball, leaving Dynamos’ star Ronald Chitiyo with lots of room to manoeuvre before coolly laying the ball into the path of Dominic Chungwa, who obliged with a simple tap in.

The equaliser lifted Dynamos’ tempo and the visitors could have taken the lead in the 53rd minute, but the hard running Godknows Murwira agonisingly watched his snap shot cannoning off the crossbar with the ‘keeper beaten.

The match then became a see-saw affair as both teams kept the fans on the edge of their seats with some neat exchanges and missed chances.

Hwange coach Nation Dube felt his boys let Dynamos off the hook.

“We gifted Dynamos that goal after Chuma just panicked under no pressure, but overall the boys played well. We also missed many chances as we could have wrapped up the game in the first half. These draws are not good as we go forward,” Dube said.

His Dynamos counterpart David “Yogi” Mandigora was content with a point after the tough encounter.

“It was a tough match indeed and I’m happy we came stronger, especially in the last half, and got the goal, which ensured we got a point away from home.”

Teams

Hwange: T Mawaya; T Sibelo (P Dube 64th min); M Mungadze; G Ndlovu; C Muleya; A Tshuma; I Mucheneka; F Vimisai; C Banda (N Sianchali 70th min); G Zulu; R Chinyengetere.

Dynamos: T Mukuruva; A Mbara; S Linyama; O Mushure; E Muroiwa; O Mwerahari; G Murwira; W Mukanga (K Bulaji 50th min); Q Amini (F Vimisai 75th min); R Chitiyo; D Chungwa.

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