The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
Bulawayo City …………………………………………(1) 1
Triangle United ………………………………………. (0) 2
BULAWAYO City coach Darlington Dodo was left a distraught man after his team conceded two late goals against Triangle United at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday to suffer their fourth straight defeat in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
City looked like they had ended their losing streak when Timothy January gave them the lead in the first half only to concede two goals within a space of four minutes to walk away empty handed for the fourth time in a row. Kudzai Chigwida and substitute Courage Denias scored for Triangle. Dodo was left disappointed with the result since he thought that they had done enough to pick up the three points.
“It’s very bad, very painful, because we thought probably we had worked very hard, did our homework very well and we thought probably it was a game that we were supposed to win,’’ Dodo said.
With their display in the first half and their approach in the opening 20 minutes of the second period, Dodo felt that they managed to restrain their opponents.
“By the look of things, with the way we had played from the first half and how we approached the game first 20 minutes of the second half, we knew that if we give them too much space and time in the first 20 minutes they were going to come at us again but we managed to contain them but all of a sudden we switched off,’’ he said.
Taurai Mangwiro, the Triangle United coach took a swipe at Bulawayo City for employing unfair methods of trying to win by encouraging the ball boys not to return the match balls back into play quickly when they were leading.
“So desperate were our opponents for points today that they in the last 20 minutes resorted to delaying tactics and it backfired on them, when they were supposed to be taking the game to us they just killed the rhythm of the match. You could see they were struggling, they couldn’t even string two, three passes in the last few minutes because they killed their own rhythm owing to dirty tactics,’’ Mangwiro said.
January gave City the lead four minutes from the break from a penalty rebound. Referee Hardly Ndazi had pointed to the spot when Amakhosi skipper Sipho Ndlovu was impeded in the box by Donald Dzvinyai. Ndlovu dusted himself up to take the spot kick only for his effort to be saved by Triangle goalkeeper Chang Mariyoni but an alert January slotted the rebound into the back of the nets.
Just when City thought they had done the job to earn the three points, Kudzai Chigwida profited from a lovely move and untidy marking by the Amakhosi defence to score from close range.
Four minutes later, Denias struck from a perfect delivery into the box by Phineas Bamusi to earn his team the three points.
Teams
Bulawayo City: Wellington Muuya, Crispen Ncube, Admire Dzumbunu, Zephania Ngodzo, Erick Mudzingwa, Tatenda Tavengwa, Trevor Ndlovu(Pavari 68 mins), Sipho Ndlovu, Clive Rupiya(Banda 90 mins), Timothy January(Wadi 76 mins), Mgcini Sibanda.
Triangle United: Chang Mariyoni, Ralph Kawondera, Arnold Chiveya, Kudzai Chigwida, Donald Dzvinyai, Trevor Mavhuga (Manhanga 76 mins), Anelka Chivandire, Patrick Magegedhla, Russel Madamombe (Chirambamurivo 63 mins), Phineas Bamusi, Nhamo Lameck.
@Mdawini_29
