The Sunday News
Innocent Kurira , Sports Reporter
Chicken Inn FC 1-1 Triangle FC
VISITING Triangle FC could be feeling they should have gotten more out of this Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie against the hosts, Chicken Inn at Luveve Stadium in Bulawayo yesterday.
It’s a point gained on the road, against a good side, which is chasing the league title, but Triangle could have collected all three points in this game.
It was almost the perfect smash-and-grab performance from visiting Triangle as they managed to contain a probing Chicken Inn for a good 80 minutes before the Gamecocks midfielder Genius Mutungamiri cancelled out Never Rauzhi’s opener which came in the 27th minute.
Having gone in front first, Triangle sat back and always looked to catch Chicken Inn on the break.
The strategy worked well with Wesley Svinurai causing the Chicken Inn defence all sorts of problems, particularly in the second half.
Had he been clinical in front of goal, he would have increased the lead before Chicken Inn could salvage a point from the game. Chicken Inn on the other hand, never seemed to get things right in midfield and their final third where on numerous occasions they needlessly lost the ball allowing Triangle to launch counter raids. With the result, Triangle remains in the relegation zone with 25 points from 24 games.
They have failed to win in their last three encounters, losing once and managing two stalemates.
They are, however, not giving up on their survival chances.
Triangle FC assistant coach John Nyikadzino thought they could have got maximum points on the day.
“With a bit of luck, we could have won the game. We conceded a soft goal. They were not good in defending aerial balls hence we tried to capitalise on that but we could not get the second goal. We have to keep on working hard. We needed three points but unfortunately, we could not get the win,” said Nyikadzino.
Chicken Inn boss Prince Matore felt it was a bad day on the park for his charges.
“For us, it’s a game lost. The decision-making from the boys was poor, especially in the final third. It’s useless to have the ball and fail to use it. Some of the players were off-form. We lacked creativity. The decision-making was poor and in the end, it’s a bad result for us,” said Matore.
Svinurai came close to scoring 10 minutes into the second half but his rising shot from the edge of the box went over the bar. Moments later Tinashe Kabanda wasted a glorious opportunity after he found himself free inside the box but could not connect Rauzhi’s cross from the right.
A minute later Svinurai bulldozed his way past the GameCocks but shot over the bar.
Teams
Chicken Inn FC: D Bernard, M Bhebhe, N Ketala, L Lunga, X Ndlovu, R Hachiro, M Hwata, M Charamba, G Mutungamiri, O Malajila (B Muza 63rd minute) S Mhlanga (R Kutinyu 73rd minute).
Triangle FC: R Nyasoka (M Muleya 87th minute), J Makombwe, W Makuva, R Kwaramba, E Mafirenyika, C Masimwa (M Svinurayi 46th minute), E Karembo, J Nyabinde, N Zingo (Kabanda 57th minute), W Mensah (N Sianchali 87th minute), N Rauzhi (C Black 75th minute). — @innocentskizoe.
