Innocent Kurira at Mandava Stadium
FC Platinum 1-0 Highlanders
HIGHLANDERS coach, Kelvin Kaindu, was left a lone frustrated figure after watching his charges put up a brave second-half performance that still could not atone for their poor first-half display, which led to their loss to the four-time league championship winners, FC Platinum, at Mandava Stadium yesterday.
Panashe Mutimbanyoka’s shot on target, which was deflected on goal by Arthur Ndlovu, on the stroke of half-time was all the former champions needed to collect the vital three points.
FC Platinum coach, Norman Mapeza was delighted with the victory. “We are coming from a very difficult phase. But, not taking anything away from Highlanders, in the second half they really did well, they had some really good opportunities but well done to my boys. In terms of managing the game and game situations, I think we were on top of everything.
“We controlled the tempo of the game, especially in the first half, it gave us a huge hand. If you look at the chances we got as well, it’s so many positives. After the last three games, we didn’t manage to get some positive results but the guys were pushing.
We were waiting for this moment and I hope this victory will give us momentum going forward. Everybody is excited, we dedicate this victory to the FC Platinum family,” said Mapeza. Kaindu felt they should have got something out of this game.
“I think it was a tight game. They dominated the first half and they managed to get a goal from a deflection. In the second half we also started being offensive. We started playing well. With a bit of luck, we could have scored. In the second half we played much better than we did in the first half,” said Kaindu.
DYNAMOS
FC Platinum recorded three corner kicks inside the first 15 minutes of the game as the hosts showed intent early on.
For the entire 45 minutes, FC Platinum camped inside the Bosso defensive half but on a few occasions Bosso broke loose on the break but could not utilise their half chances.
The hosts had the first real chance of the game with Oscar Bhebhe sending in an inviting cross from the right eight minutes into the game, but Lawrence Mhlanga failed to direct his header on target.
Related Stories:
Two minutes later, Lynoth Chikuhwa spotted FC Platinum goalminder Wallace Magalane off his line and tried to get one over him from a distance but his attempt hit the roof of the net with part of the crowd believing Bosso had found the opener.
Twenty-three minutes into the game, Mason Mushore brought down Devine Mhindirira near the box.
The hosts got a free-kick and Jerrison Selemani stood up to take the responsibility. He, however, sent his shot straight to Ariel Sibanda.
After 25 minutes of play, FC Platinum broke on a counter attack. However, Mhindirira failed to connect a brilliant Bhebhe cross from the right flank. Thirty one minutes in, Selemani sent in a brilliant cross from the left, which Mhlanga met with the head but couldn’t direct it on target again.
Bosso’s first real chance would come in the 38th minute with Godfrey Makaruse sending in a cross into the box but Chikuhwa shot over the bar.
In the 59th minute, Makaruse came close to levelling matters for Bosso but his thunderbolt was tipped over for a corner kick by Magalane.
FC Platinum continued with their search for another goal and Mutimbanyoka sent in a brilliant cross from the left in the 66th minute but his effort met no takers in the box.
Bosso would go on to get another brilliant chance to level matters in the 71st minute. Never Rauzhi laid the ball to Brighton Ncube who was unmarked in the box with acres of space but decided to go for a first time shot, which went over bar. With 10 minutes left on the clock, Andrew Mbeba took a brilliant free-kick from the left, which was punched over the bar for a corner kick by Magalane.
From the corner rebound, the ball fell back into the path of Mbeba who managed to locate Peter Muduhwa who sliced the ball into the back of the net but was adjudged to have been offside.
