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The 2011 Southern Region Division One champions put up a spirited fight against Hwange at the Colliery Stadium on Saturday before falling 4-3 through a late Francesco Zekumbawire sucker punch. Quelaton’s Proud Zireni was red- carded for a silly tackle.
“The red card cost us the match,” said head coach Thulani Sibanda.
Very few people expected the Bulawayo based team to score even a single goal but the three which they scored should be warning enough to their opponents.

In another match played on Saturday, Chicken Inn and Gunners played to a disappointing 0-0 draw at Luveve Stadium.
At Barbourfields Stadium Bosso started the season on a bright note, beating the visitors through a hat-trick from Milton Ncube and another goal from rookie Ozias Zibande to give the 5 000 fans a reason to believe that perhaps this year could be the year.

Ncube’s goals were top class and he seems to play the free role position better than the dreadlocked but equally good Peter Moyo.
It was the first hat-trick from a Bosso player since the 2008 Cuthbert Malajila hat-trick against Masvingo United in which Bosso also won 4-0 on 22 May.
“Physically we are not 100 percent but tactically we played well and the win really gives us confidence. There are areas of course that we need to improve on,” said Kaindu.

Unlike in their last friendly match against Chapungu at the same venue, Bosso put up a polished performance and controlled the game keeping possession for almost 70 percent of the game.
Their defence was compact, the midfield mobile and their lone striker Graham Ncube played well but needs to improve on his speed and alertness.

Eric Mudzingwa shifted from the midfield to the crucial central defence, was brilliant on aerial balls while skipper Innocent Mapuranga took care of any ground attacks with utmost efficiency.
Having realised that Simon Munawa was winning very few tackles in one-on-one situations, Kaindu brought in midfield enforcer, Mthulisi Maphosa, to play as an anchorman. He was the first stumbling block to any attacks by Blue Rangers and also contributed to Milton’s first two goals.

In a 4-5-1 formation with Graham operating as a lone striker, Milton operated as a second striker while Munawa and Moyo were exchanging the second slot in the central midfield just in front of Maphosa.
With the emphatic win, the first in more than three years, Highlanders lead the log standings through a superior goal difference to their rivals Dynamos and FC Platinum.

FC Platinum chalked up a 3-1 win over Black Mambas at Morris Depot and being the only title favourites that won on the road, they will obviously fancy their chances in the next game at Mandava Stadium.
A Takesure Chinyama-led Dynamos rudely welcomed debutants Hardbody to the big boys game, beating them 3-0 with the former Hwange striker grabbing a hat-trick.

“We wanted to get early goals so that we settle down,” said Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa.
“We managed to get the quick goal and the take off was okay for us. I think we should have buried a couple of chances in the first 15 to 20 minutes but the conversion rate was so poor.”

Pasuwa also paid tribute to Chinyama for getting the crucial goals.
“I am happy with Chinyama for getting the goals and as I have said before, we need to have an experienced striker to lead from the front,” said Pasuwa.
Hardbody gaffer Tavaka Gumbo sang the same song as Quelaton’s Sibanda.
“I think the red card was a bit harsh on us and it was the turning point in the game,” said Gumbo.

“We wanted to attack but had one player getting expelled and that saw us losing our shape. After we lost a player the objective then was to defend so that we do not concede more goals since we were already trailing.”
“We had prepared for Dynamos just like we would do for any other game,” said Gumbo.
“The balls we used at training are Fifa approved and they are the same type of balls we used today.

“Generally I think we played well and the result is not very bad for us. I do not think that I should be making drastic changes to the team in the next game,” said Gumbo.

The Gweru-based busmen had Callisto Maheya seeing red in the match.
Meanwhile, a total of 22 goals were scored in the first week of the 2012 Castle Lager Premiership season. That is a goal more than the first week last season.
Weekend Results:

Black Mambas 1, FC Platinum3; Chicken Inn 0, Gunners 0; Hwange 4, Quelaton 3; Motor Action 0, Harare City 0;  Highlanders 4, Blue Rangers 0; Dynamos 3, Hardbody 0; Shabanie 0, Caps 0; Buffaloes 1, Monomotapa 3.