The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
Chicken Inn ……………….(1) 2
Bantu Rovers ……………. (1) 1 CHICKEN Inn recovered from conceding a goal in the first minute to prevail over Bantu Rovers, in the process condemning their neighbours to their 14th defeat of the season in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at Hartsfield Rugby Ground yesterday.
Goals from skipper Danny Phiri and George Majika for the Gamecocks cancelled out Lenience Mpofu’s early strike for Tshintsha Guluva to give Chicken Inn their ninth win of the season and take their points tally to 33. It was sweet revenge for Chicken Inn who lost the reverse fixture between the two teams at Luveve Stadium in May by the same scoreline.
Bantu Rovers took the lead with 47 seconds played, Mpofu finding the target when he was sent through on the left, before striking a beautiful curler which beat a fully stretched Elvis Chipezeze, hit the upright before sailing into the nets.
As Chicken Inn went for the kill, seasoned midfielder Clemence Matawu went past the challenge of Herbert Dick and Zephaniah Ngodzo, with the goal in sight, the defenders managed to regroup to avert the danger. Two minutes later, Lawrence Mhlanga shot over the bar on the blind side from a Majika corner kick.
Chicken Inn were jittery at the back with Dick almost making it two for Bantu Rovers with 16 minutes played but the veteran defender was blocked before he could pull the trigger.
A lovely move involving Ishmael Lawe saw Thabani Goredema release Matawu on the right whose shot was not powerful enough to trouble Takunda Mutanga in goals for Rovers in the 36th minute.
Matawu won a free kick, which secured the equalising goal for Chicken Inn eight minutes before the break when he was brought down outside the box. Up stepped skipper Phiri to fire the ball past the wall beyond Mutanga.
Youngster Bukhosi Sibanda came close to restoring the lead for Bantu Rovers just before the break. He was allowed some space outside the box, opened fire with his left foot and it took a brilliant save from Chipezeze who pushed the ball out for a corner.
Majika gave Chicken Inn the lead six minutes into the second half, slamming the ball into the nets from inside the box after some loose defending by Bantu Rovers.
Matawu could have killed the game as a contest when he latched onto a long clearance, but Mutanga was equal to the task, using his legs to block the effort in the 69th minute.
Lawe wasted an opportunity to get the third goal for Chicken Inn in the 76th minute, beating an offside trap and when he came face to face with the keeper he decided to pass the ball to Bhekimpilo Ncube who failed to punish Bantu Rovers.
Dick could have secured the equalising goal for Bantu when sent through and instead guided his effort over bar a minute into injury time with Chipezeze at his mercy.
Teams
Chicken Inn: Elvis Chipezeze, Moses Jackson, Brian Mbiriri, John Bernard(Ben Nyahunzvi 65 minutes , Lawrence Mhlanga, George Majika, Danny Phiri, Clemence Matawu(Brian Juru 83 minutes), Bhekimpilo Ncube(Canaan Nkomo 77 minutes), Thabani Goredema, Ismael Lawe
Bantu Rovers: Takunda Mutanga, Zephaniah Ngodzo, Herbert Dick, Master Mlangeni, Teenage Hadebe, Nqobizitha Masuku, Tafadzwa Kutinyu(Tafadzwa Ngwena 46 minutes) , Fortune Ncube(Dalubuhle Moraka 62 minutes, Emmanuel Dube(Sizalobuhle Dube 79 minutes), Leanance Mpofu, Bukhosi Sibanda
Match Officials
Referee: Munyaradzi Majoni
First Assistant Referee: Edgar Rumeck
Second Assistant Referee: David Khumalo
Fourth Official: Thabani Bhamala
Match Commissioner: Michael Phiri
Estimated Crowd: 75.
