
Sports Reporter
Arenel 0-1 Chicken Inn
ARENEL paid the price for a lethargic performance in attack as they fell to a Brian Muza first-half goal in a hard-fought city derby at Luveve Stadium in Bulawayo yesterday.
The sweet and biscuit makers lacked the cutting-edge and definitive thrust in the final third. Arenel coach, Farai Tawachera said at the end of the match that they were fighting desperately to save the team from relegation. They anchor the log with 11 points after 19 matches and trail TelOne who occupy the last relegation slot by seven points.
The Gamecocks are sixth with 27 points. TelOne are in action today against Manica Diamonds. “I think we tried our best, we gave it all, we attacked and goals could not come. That’s even what happened last weekend, we have shifted a bit in terms of how we play, we are trying to save this club at all costs, we try to create chances,” said Tawachera.
He alluded to the attackers’ woeful performance in front of goal. “We were not accurate in front of goal, our composure in the box is not up there,” said the Arenel gaffer after his team’s 10th loss of the season. Joey Antipas, the Chicken Inn gaffer, whose technical team was under pressure to deliver against Arenel, looked a relieved man and spoke about two of his players who were registered during this transfer window, Tafadzwa Kutinyu and Albert Nyamutsaka signed from Botswana.
“We need to give him (Kutinyu) game time. He will come to the groove. “Nyamutsaka is not up to full speed, he will help us and the result will give us a confidence booster, going forward,” said Antipas. Asked about their next opponents FC Platinum, Antipas said: “FC Platinum is the team to beat, we have to go there and scrap a result.”
The match was a ding-dong affair with a fair share of chances created by both clubs as they all looked to want it more.
Arenel defended well throughout the match and were unlucky to walk out losers. The sweets makers were the first to take the initiative in the second minute of the match with Lucky Nyathi who was their busiest bee in the first half testing Warriors goalkeeper, Donovan Bernard with a cheeky header off a corner kick in the second minute.
On 16 minutes, the big Chicken Inn defender, Itai Mabunu found himself unmarked in the box and his volley was saved by Delron Chuma the son of former Warriors goalkeepers’ trainer Tembo, in goal for Arenel. In the 19th minute, Chuma parried Muza’s shot for a corner, Chicken Inn’s second of the afternoon.
In the 30th minute, Muza let go a full-bloodied shot, which was saved by Chuma, following a move started by Mabunu wide on the right who fed Michael Charamba who switched play to the left. Muza who was lurking unmarked controlled and let go a scorcher that was well dealt with by the impressive Chuma.
In the 43rd minute, Joseph Tulani’s header was cleared off the line off a corner kick on the right flank. Muza broke the deadlock in the last seconds of the first half when a poor clearance in a goal melee appeared to ricochet off him to cross the line to make it Chicken Inn 1-0 at halftime and it is how it would end despite changes to attacking personnel in the second half.
Both teams had their goalkeepers to thank in the final minutes of the second half. There was ever urgency in the Chicken Inn game while Arenel tried several combinations to break the Chicken Inn rearguard.
Teams
Arenel: Delron Chuma, Gabriel Dlodlo, Vhilubywo Mlilo, Arthur Ndlovu, Polite Mwenda, Grant Chingwenhese, Brian Jaravaza, Zibusiso Dambo, Crispen Machisi, Brian Gijimani, Lucky Nyathi
Chicken Inn: B Donovan, Michael Charamba, Mpumelelo Bhebhe, Brighton Makopa, Brian Muza, George Majika, Innocent Mucheneka, Joseph Tulani, Arthur Chinda, Xolani Ndlovu, Itai Mabunu..
Refereess: Manende Kwanele, Mncedisi Maphosa, Brilliant Sibanda.
Commissioner: Sabelo Maphosa