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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FC Platinum’s 18-match unbeaten run in the Castle Lager Premiership, dating back to last season, came to an end at the weekend when they fell 1-2 to Ngezi Platinum Stars.

The Zvishavane side had last lost a league match on October 8 when they went down 1-2 to Harare City.

FC Platinum picked themselves up from that City defeat to record an incredible 18 match unbeaten run. That run comprised nine wins and nine draws.

FC Platinum had gone on an unbeaten run of 14 matches this season, consisting of six wins and eight draws.

Goals either side of the halftime by Donald Teguru and 18-year-old Tatenda Mchisa handed Ngezi maximum points, while Brett Amidu rose from the bench to score the visitors’ consolation.

Ngezi broke a four-game winless run and claimed back top position from Harare giants Dynamos, who had occupied it for less than 24 hours following their 2-0 win over Bantu Rovers on Friday night.

Ngezi’s last win had been on May 28 when they beat Bulawayo City 3-2 at home.

The weekend victory over FC Platinum took Ngezi to 31 points from 16 games and lead Dynamos by two points.

Ngezi’s win left coach Tonderai Ndiraya believing that his team can cause major upsets in their quest to lift the championship.

“We have assembled a very good team and I think this team will win more games in the future and take this team forward, ”Ndiraya said.

FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza felt his side conceded soft goals.

“If you look at the first goal, the goalkeeper (Petros Mhari) was supposed to come out for the ball, and then the second one came from the blind side.

However, I do think that it was a good game of football, but in terms of our standards we did not really do well,” Mapeza said.

To keep up with the championship chasing teams, FC Platinum, who are in sixth position with 26 points, need to bounce back to winning ways in their next game against Chapungu.

The Zvishavane side, which missed a glut of scoring opportunities at Ngezi, might throw into the fray striker Takesure Chinyama, who joined them last week from Poland.

Meanwhile, Dynamos continued with their steady rise and are now second following their victory over struggling Bantu Rovers.

DeMbare moved two places up the ladder, leapfrogging Chicken Inn, who suffered a shock 0-2 loss to Chapungu, as well as Black Rhinos, who shared spoils with ZPC Kariba following a 1-1 draw.

Tsholotsho FC blew a perfect opportunity to register their first win of the season by surrendering a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Triangle United in Beitbridge.

Hwange held Harare City 1-1, while Shabanie Mine beat How Mine 1-0.

Results
Friday: Dynamos 2-0 Bantu Rovers
Saturday: Tsholotsho FC 2-2 Triangle United, Ngezi Platinum 2-1 FC Platinum, Chapungu 2-0 Chicken Inn, ZPC Kariba 1-1 Black Rhinos
Sunday: Highlanders 1-0 Yadah FC, Shabanie Mine 1-0 How Mine, Harare City 1-1 Hwange, Bulawayo City v Caps United (postponed)

Table
P    W    D    L    F    A    GD    Pts
Ngezi Platinum    16    9    4    3    25    14    11    31
*Dynamos    14    9    2    3    22    12    10    29
Black Rhinos    15    8    4    3    18    7    11    28
Chicken Inn    15    9    1    5    15    7    8    28
Highlanders    16    8    4    4    17    13    4    28
FC Platinum    15    6    8    1    13    7    6    26
How Mine    15    7    4    4    11    10    1    25
ZPC Kariba    16    7    3    6    18    16    2    24
*Chapungu    15    5    6    4    10    10    0    21
Triangle United    16    4    7    5    14    17    -3    19
Harare City    16    4    6    6    9    9    0    18
Shabanie Mine    16    4    6    6    11    14    -3    18
Bulawayo City    15    5    2    8    16    20    -4    17
Yadah FC    16    4    4    8    14    20    -6    16
Hwange    15    3    5    7    10    19    -9    14
Caps United    9    3    4    2    14    9    5    13
Bantu Rovers    16    2    2    12    18    37    -19    8
Tsholotsho FC    16    0    6    10    8    22    -14    6
*match abandoned
— @ZililoR