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Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
Hwange 2-0 How Mine
Hwange Football Club beat fellow miners How Mine 2-0 in a Castle Lager Premier league match played at the Colliery Stadium yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday’s morale boosting win over gritty Kelvin Kaindu’s How Mine, the first time the Zambian expatriate gaffer has lost a match to a Hwange side after both his spells at Bosso and Triangle, came after Hwange added salt into struggling Border Strikers’ wounds with a 1-0 victory at Maglas Stadium a week ago.

At the end of the day, stand in head coach Mebelo Njekwa silenced the prophets of doom in the soccer crazy mining town thanks to two well executed goals by fast improving Gift Mbweti and former Shabanie Mine striker Pervington Zimunya on either side of the interval.

The match started at a cracking pace with both teams charging at each other but it was the hosts who created the first realistic chance which resulted in the opener on the quarter hour mark after left-winger Pritchard Mpelele embarked on a mazy run on the left flank before sending in a delicate cross which the enterprising Mbweti connected with a volley which beat How Mine goal minder Munyaradzi Diya all systems out.

Another lethal coalminers attack two minutes later almost produced a second one only for young Mbweti to take a wrong choice of shooting lamely at goal with Zimunya and Innocent Mucheneka unmarked and crying for the ball inside the box.

The visitors had the first chance in the 20th minute when they won a free kick at the edge of the box but were denied by Hwange goal minder Future Sibanda who smothered a stinging free kick by Tawanda Muparati with a top drawer save.

How Mine were not done as another thunderbolt free kick by Qadr Amini five minutes later again found youthful Sibanda alert on duty in between the posts.

Diya then produced the save of the afternoon ten minutes from the breather when he denied Andrew Tshuma with a heroic one hand save on the goal line as the hosts threatened to overrun their adversaries.

Kaindu must have read the riot act during the half time talk as his charges started the last half in a menacing fashion with a dazzling attack involving Tsepo Ranthokoane and former Hwange player Charles Sibanda only proving futile after the former shot lamely into the waiting gloves of goalkeeper Sibanda five minutes into the last half.

How Mine were punished three minutes later for their lack of sharpness in front of goal when Hwange’s Zimunya capitalised on some astonishing laxity by goalkeeper Diya and his defence who toyed around with a loose ball in the box which later fell into the path of the pint-sized striker who cleverly curled the ball past Diya to leave Kaindu fuming on the bench.

The coalminers could have grabbed a third one in the 62th minute after midfielder Mucheneka broke loose inside the box and unleashed a ferocious effort which Diya fisted back into play from a one on one situation.

A wounded How Mine then camped in the Hwange half with an improved performance by first half substitute Toto Banda, midfielder Makanduka Sakala and Charles Sibanda but all their efforts came to nought as Hwange defended up to the final whistle.

Njekwa was all smiles after the game.

“We’re improving by each game and I’m a very happy man today and hope we will continue with this good form we saw today. I want to be a man of few words but I’m happy for the players and the happy fans.” He said.

Kaindu lashed at his defence for the two goals.

“We gave away two soft goals and I’m not happy with my defence as our opponents capitalised on that today. It’s also my first time to lose to Hwange FC,” he said.

Teams

Hwange: F Sibanda; T Sibelo; G Ndlovu; D Boriwondo; M Mungadze; O Moyo; A Tshuma; P Mpelele; I Mucheneka(G Nguwodzawo 90th min); G Mbweti; P Zimunya(N Sianchali 62th min)

How Mine: M Diya; T Khumbuyani; Q Amin; K Chideu; V Kamhuka; M Sakala; T Ranthokoane( H Masuku 72th min); P Manhanga(G Nguwadzawo 57th min); K Musharu; T Muparati( T Banda 36th min); C Sibanda.