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Tobias Mandoreba Sports Correspondent
Hwange 1-0 Harare City

VISITING Harare City learnt in the cruelest fashion that in football you get punished if you just play well but fail to convert chances that come your way.

They narrowly lost to the coalminers in a Castle Lager Premier League encounter played under simmering temperatures at the Colliery Stadium yesterday afternoon.

The Sunshine Boys outshone their opponents for the better part of the match especially in the opening period but were punished by substitute Gilbert Zulu in the 71st minute to leave them travelling empty handed back to the capital after a match they played with so much determination and flair.

Ageless Zulu, who had replaced Talent Chamboko in the 58th minute, pounced on a spill by goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube after he found a scorcher by Zulu’s fellow substitute Newman Sianchali too hot to handle.

Harare City had started the match in a blistering manner as they virtually camped in the Hwange half with Talent Chawapiwa and Kudakwashe Kumwala harassing the coalminers’ rearguard at will.

Barely a minute into the duel, Nathan Ziwini was allowed acres of space at the edge of the Hwange box but his screamer found goalkeeper Takabva Mawaya alert.

The Sunshine Boys were not done as in the fifth minute speed merchant Martin Vengesayi held his head in disbelief after his ferocious grounder was pushed out for a corner by Mawaya.

Hwange got an opportunity on the quarter hour mark when midfield kingpin Rodwell Chinyengetere and Zimbabwe U-23 left-winger Pritchard Mpelele exchanged some lovely passes in the Harare City half only for the former to blaze his effort over the bar.

The visitors were to threaten again in the 25th minute after a blinding move involving Vengesayi and Chawapiwa ended with the former’s rocket again drawing the best from Mawaya who kept his team in the contest with a string of saves.

The story was the same in the second half as Harare City again were denied by Mawaya who bravely fisted a Chawapiwa free kick from the edge of the box three minutes after the breather.

The coalminers then sprang to life in the last half hour as the visitors succumbed to the high temperatures.

Left back Munyaradzi Mungadze got a big opportunity to put the miners ahead in the 62th minute when a curling and beautifully taken Tonisani Sibelo free kick found him unmarked inside the box but he surprisingly skied his effort from a few metres out under no challenge.

Harare City again slept on duty five minutes later when another Sibelo trademark cross eluded them only for David Boriwondo’s flashing header to crash against the cross bar with Dube a beaten man.

In the 71st minute Zulu deservedly punished the visitors’ defence for their laxity as they did not react after Dube had spilled the ball.

Taurai Mangwiro’s boys then huffed and puffed for an equaliser which never came as Hwange defended desperately to register a third victory on the trot.

Hwange based match referee Bonamali Bwanale had a good day in office.

“It was a tactical match as you realised that in the first half they were coming at us but we knew they wouldn’t last and we duly punished them and it’s a good run for us as it’s the third win in a row,” said Hwange goalkeeper’s coach Chenjerai Dube.

Mangwiro blamed his defenders for the defeat.

“We had a rare lapse in concentration in our defence and Hwange punished us. I would also like to commend the match referee for some wonderful officiating worth mentioning. I’ve no complaints. We failed to wrap up the game especially in the first half,” he said.

TEAMS

Hwange: T Mawaya, T Sibelo, M Mungadze, D Boriwondo, G Ndlovu, A Tshuma, T Chese, T Chamboko (G Zulu 58th min), A Marime(N Sinanchali 64th min), P Mpelele, R Chinyengetere

Harare City: T Dube, N Diro, A Chivheya, T Ndlovu, G Chimwemwe, R Uchena, N Ziwini (F Zekumbawire 64th min), M Vengesayi, W Manondo, K Kumwala (H Chimutimunzeve 86th min), T Chawapiwa (B Maglasi 72th min)