THE absence of anchorman Brian Juru seems to have affected Chicken Inn’s midfield as Caps United cruised past a mediocre Gamecocks in a 2-1 victory at Luveve Stadium in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match yesterday.
SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA SPORTS REPORTER
Chicken Inn . . . (0) 1 Caps United . . . .(1) 2 Juru was serving a one-match suspension. Captain Danny Phiri has missed a couple of matches while on trials with FC Cape Town, but was back in the fold in the middle of the park.
Caps United moved to top spot for the first time this season with 26 points from 14 games while Chicken Inn are still on position seven with 20 points from the same number of games.
The visitors scored first through Hardlife Zvirekwi in the 33rd minute before Moses Muchenje grabbed the second 34 minutes later. Chicken Inn got the consolation from Bhekimpilo Ncube in the 76th minute.
Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas conceded that they had endured a torrid afternoon where they failed to click and felt the absence of Juru.
“We didn’t play our normal game. We didn’t raise our game. I give credit to Caps. They were the better team. They deserved to win. That is the nurture of the game. We need to go back to the drawing board to try and work on a few things,” he said.
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“Juru, we missed him, missed him very much especially in the midfield. I believe that’s where we lost the game in the midfield. We didn’t raise our game. What we need to do is put this behind. We need to work hard and get our attitudes right then we can come good again,” he said.
It was a good result for Caps United who were without head coach Taurai Mangwiro attending a Caf A licence course in Harare with assistant coach Mike Madziwanyika saying it was a well-earned victory.
“The boys deserved it. It was a good result. They really worked hard for it. We gave away a soft goal that put pressure on us. The victory means a lot – it is a fourth in a row. The result was because of teamwork,” he said.
Caps United could have gone a goal up in the 22nd minute when Pervington Zimunya’s free-kick taken on the right flank was tipped over the bar by Chicken Inn goalminder Elvis Chipezeze.
Three minutes later, referee Pilan Ncube waived Danny Phiri’s seemingly crude tackle on Dominic Chungwa inside the box much to the chagrin of the Caps United bench and supporters who had anticipated a spot-kick.
In the 33rd minute, Zvirekwi’s goal came whenLeonard Fiyado’s free-kick found the former on the near side who in turn shot into the far right corner of the net beating a stunned Chipezeze who had expected it to trickle out.
Zvirekwi who gave Phiri a torrid time, was at it again in the 49th minute, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper Chipezeze.
Muchenje registered his name on the scorers’ card when he took advantage of a blind pass by Ncube to fire past an exposed Chipezeze in the 67th minute.
Ncube made amends when he latched onto a John Passmore Benard cross on the near side to head in their solitary goal.
