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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
Highlanders 2-0 Dongo Sawmill

AN inspired first half display by Highlanders was all the 10-men fading Bulawayo giants needed to collect maximum points and shove Dongo Sawmill deeper into the relegation zone in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.

Obidiah Tarumbwa powered Highlanders into the lead in the 25th minute, doing justice to a beautiful build-up that started in the Bosso half with Erick Mudzingwa threading a pass to Rahman Kutsanzira, who in turn released the ball to Ralph Matema on the left.

Matema, who was playing his first game for Highlanders since returning from South Africa, sent in a perfect cross to Bruce Kangwa in the box. Kangwa superbly chested the ball onto the path of Tarumbwa for a simple tap in.

A minute before half time, Kutsanzira scored Bosso’s second goal when his half-volley beat Dongo Sawmill goalkeeper Forward Pfumojena, who was deceived by an awkward bounce.

That goal cushioned Highlanders’ lead as they had earlier missed a 36th minute penalty after the club’s top goal scorer Knox Mutizwa, who has 11 goals to his account, was hacked down inside the box by Martin Tapatapa.

Mutizwa picked himself up but shot poorly off target, blowing an opportunity to get his tally to 12, one more than Chicken Inn’s Edmore Chirambadare.

The Young Warriors’ striker had wasted another glorious chance before the penalty incident when he turned his marker inside out only to blaze over the bar with the keeper to beat.

Highlanders went to the break a man down after defensive midfielder Douglas Sibanda was given his second yellow card for a lunge on a Dongo Sawmill player.

Sibanda had received his first yellow card for reacting against Derrick Chidzanzara’s crude tackle and his failure to control his temper saw him getting into referee Philani Ncube’s book.

Highlanders’ technical advisor Cosmas “Tsano” Zulu said Sibanda’s early dismissal affected their second half performance as they had to compromise Matema for Nqobizitha Masuku in the 50th minute.

“The combination of Tarumbwa, Matema and Mutizwa could have given us more goals, but it was unfortunate that Douglas (Sibanda) got sent off and that killed our tactical manoeuvre. However, I believe this was a good win for us because after ZPC Kariba’s 2-1 win against Caps United on Saturday, we had slipped to position 11 on the table and it really gave us a scare. We’re back on position 10 and our mandate is to keep the team floating in the PSL. I’m happy that we managed to just grind the result and we’ll continue doing so,” said Zulu.

Dongo Sawmill could have gone to halftime trailing Bosso by just a single goal, but Evans Chikwaikwai fluffed his team’s best chance of the day when he shot over the bar from inside the box with only keeper Ariel Sibanda to beat.

The visitors failed to maximise on their numerical advantage even though they had superior ball possession.

They were lucky not to concede a goal in the dying stages of the game, thanks to Simon Munawa’s lack of precision by directing his effort wide with only Pfumojena to beat.

Despite anchoring the table, Dongo Sawmill remain hopeful of surviving the chop.

“We can still survive. I think we were unfortunate to lose but our chances of escaping relegation are still high. I believe what let us down was the first goal because I thought the scorer (Tarumbwa) was offside, but the second goal was genuine. We’ll not despair and we’ll keep on fighting till the last game of the season” said Dongo Sawmill coach Dananai Chinovava.

Teams

Highlanders: Ariel Sibanda, Erick Mudzingwa, Honest Moyo, Felix Chindungwe, Teenage Hadebe, Douglas Sibanda, Rahman Kutsanzira (Simon Munawa, 64th minute), Bruce Kangwa, Obidiah Tarumbwa, Knox Mutizwa, Ralph Matema (Nqobizitha Masuku, 50th minute)

Unused substitutes: Njabulo Nyoni, Peter Muduwha, Gabriel Nyoni, King Nadolo, Godfrey Makaruse

Dongo Sawmill: Forward Pfumojena, Kelvin Katandika, Collins Duwa, Martin Tapatapa, Kudzanayi Mangayo, Derrick Chidzanzara, Never Tigere (Stephen Alia, 80th minute), Kudzai Chideu (Last Jesi, 53rd minute), Evans Chikwaikwai, Elliot Mungiri, Physwell Madlazi (Lawrence Masibera, 88th minute)

Unused substitutes: Dion Coutinho, Tatenda Chiminya, Blessing Dzumbunu, Farai Samunya