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Lloyd Mutasa

Tobias Mandoreba Hwange Sports Correspondent
Hwange 3-0 Whawha

HWANGE bounced back from a defeat by FC Platinum last Saturday with a polished performance to condemn Whawha deeper into relegation waters in yesterday’s Castle Lager Premiership match at the Colliery Stadium.

Hwange lost 0-2 to the platinum miners at Mandava Stadium, but went into yesterday’s match full of determination that enabled them to demolish the prison warders.

The coal miners could have won by a rugby scoreline had their front men not fluffed a glut of clear goal-scoring opportunities that came their way.

The writing was on the wall in the opening minute for Whawha coach Lloyd Mutasa when his side fell behind with just 55 seconds on the clock when Pritchard Mpelele latched onto a wonderful pass by midfield kingpin Rodwell Chinyengetere to hammer the ball past goalkeeper Phillip Nhete.

The hosts continued to push forward as Whawha struggled, but they failed to convert their dominance into goals until the 25th minute when left back Munyaradzi Mungadze rose majestically above the defence to power home a header from a Farai Vimisai corner kick.

Chipangano could have added a third goal three minutes later through Chinyengetere after he connected a Mpelele free-kick with a flashing header that cannoned off the left upright.

Whawha only threatened the Hwange goal once in the entire opening stanza when Nelson Maziwisa showed some flashes of brilliance at the edge of the box to evade the challenges of central defenders Gerald Ndlovu and Andrew Tshuma only to blaze his effort over the bar.

The miss of the afternoon was by young Hwange midfielder Innocent Mucheneka, who latched onto a through pass from Chinyengetere and skied his shot with an empty net beckoning.

Mutasa must have read the riot act to his players at the break as they played more purposefully in the second half, especially after the introduction of Clifford Mwale and Kenneth Bhuka for Cleopas Kapupurika and Oscar Lungu respectively.

But Whawha’s determination wilted under the simmering Hwange heat when striker Newman Sianchali virtually dashed any slim hopes of a comeback that the visitors harboured with a third goal from close range after benefiting from a delicate cross by the enterprising Mucheneka from the right flank.

Mutasa threw in Roy Useni for Nyasha Bude in the 70th minute, but the change had no bearing on the match as the coal miners maintained their dominance.

Hwange goalkeepers’ coach Chenjerayi Dube was elated by the outcome.

“It’s very good to bounce back from a defeat and we made sure we attacked from the first whistle. We hope to pick up from here in our next game against Chicken Inn in Bulawayo this weekend,” said Dube.

Mutasa conceded defeat.

“We conceded early in the game and I think that put off the boys and my defence wasn’t very tight at the back. When we tried to play our normal game in the second half, the damage was already done,” Mutasa said.

Teams

Hwange: T Mawaya; A Tshuma; Gerald Ndlovu; D Boriwondo; M Mungadze; C Muleya; I Mucheneka; F Vimisai (G Zulu 68th min); P Mpelele (A Marime 88th min); R Chinyengetere( T Chamboko 80th min); N Sianchali

Whawha: P Nhete; B Chidzero; G Kwaramba; R Horonga; N Gandari; S Nhamo;L Genti; N Bude(R Useni 70th min); C Kapupurika (C Mwale 46th min); N Mazivisa; O Lungu(K Bhuka 54th min).