The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
Chicken Inn…………………. (0) 1
How Mine……………………. (1) 2
HOW Mine coach, Philani “Beefy” Ncube settled his grudge against his old paymasters Chicken Inn as his side emerged victorious in an evenly balanced Castle Lager Premier Soccer League derby played at Luveve Stadium yesterday afternoon.
Ncube said he was glad to win the game as he had a grudge to settle with the Gamecocks who fired him “unceremoniously” towards the end of 2011.
Goals from Kudakwashe Musharu in either half gave How Mine the three points while Ishmael Lawe pulled one back for Chicken Inn, who ended the game a man short after Charles Mutero was given a straight red card for a crude tackle by match referee Bekezela Makeka.
Ncube said winning against Chicken Inn was Christmas before Christmas for him as he wanted to show his former employers that he is a good coach.
“I was fired unceremoniously at Chicken Inn and it will always be more than three points at stake when I am playing against them. Today we beat them away and I am sure when we are playing home we are going to do much better,” he said.
The match was an evenly balanced affair from the first whistle as both sides sought the early goal. A defensive blunder by George Magariro, in the 7th minute, saw him being dispossessed by Tendai Mukambi, who failed to shoot at goal and his cross found no one, trickling out for a throw in.
How Mine were awarded an indirect free kick, in the 22nd minute, about five metres from Chicken Inn’s goal line, but Wonder Sithole had his shot blocked by Liberty Chirava in goals for the home team, before the ball was cleared by the home team’s defence.
Bhekimpilo Ncube could have found the opener for Chicken Inn in the 26th minute when Mukambi dribbled past two defenders and crossed the ball to Canaan Nkomo who squared across goal but Ncube missed it by a few inches and it rolled out for a goal kick.
Musharu got the opener when he quickly outpaced the Chicken Inn defence as Sithole was taking a throw in on the left flank, unmarked he obligingly beat Chirava in the 31st minute to bag his fifth goal of the season.
A corner kick from Nkomo in the 34th minute was met by Ncube with a header to Danny “Deco” Phiri, who could have levelled the scores, but his overhead kick was off the mark by a few centimetres.
Mutero found himself on the wrong side of the law when he hacked down Musharu in the 53rd minute and while many felt he deserved a yellow card, Makeka pulled out a red card sending him for an early shower.
How Mine quickly took advantage of their numerical advantage and increased their lead in the 62nd minute when Xolisani Moyo pulled off a stinger from 25 yards that Chirava blocked. However, the ball fell onto the path of Timothy January who laid it to Musharu for his his second goal of the day through a headed effort.
Although one man short, the Gamecocks took the game to the visitors, albeit after numerous missed opportunities. However, they eventually pulled one back in the 77th minute when a defensive lapse saw Lawe lob the ball over Chikurupati’s goalkeeper Ephraim Mazarura.
Substitute Thabani Goredema, who came in for Ncube in the 65th minute, was guilty of missing chances that came his way. In the 83rd minute, he got the ball from a Lawe cross but could not beat Mazarura and in the 86th minute a cross from Mkhokheli Dube found him unmarked but his effort hit the side netting before he got another opportunity in injury time which he characteristically failed to convert.
Chicken Inn coach, Joey Antipas felt Mutero did not deserve a red card and minus one man they were at a disadvantage.
“We created four clear chances that we could have converted but we missed and I think we should dust ourselves off from this loss and plot for our next match. I think the red card was a bit harsh as a yellow card would have been a fair punishment,” he said.
Teams
Chicken Inn: L Chirava, J Moses, J Bernard, C Mutero, B Nyahunzi, D Phiri, B Juru, B Ncube (T Goredema, 56th), C Nkomo (I Lawe, 46th), C Matawu, T Mukambi.
How Mine: E Mazarura, X Moyo, B Dube, G Banda, G Magariro, E Muzanenhamo, N Mukumbi, M Mupera, K Musharu (B Marere, 79th), W Sithole, T January.
