Rhinos wallop How Mine

Sport
How Mine.............(0) 0 Black Rhinos........(1) 3

How Mine………….(0) 0 Black Rhinos……..(1) 3

FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER TWO HEADED goals by veteran Philip Marufu and another by substitute Lot Chiwunga put Black Rhinos on good footing to survive relegation by thrashing How Mine in a lukewarm Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Luveve Stadium, Bulawayo, yesterday.

It was sweet revenge for Rhinos after the gold miners beat them 2-1 in the first round in Harare and knocked them out of the Mbada Diamonds Cup at Barbourfields Stadium last Sunday with a 1-0 win.

With the victory, Rhinos leapfrogged Hwange to perch on position 12 on the log with 26 points as they prepare for their next assignment against fellow army side Buffaloes at their favourite hunting ground at Rimuka in Kadoma.

Coach Arthur Tutani was happy for the three points, but was quick to point out that his side was still fighting relegation giving thumbs up to veterans Marufu and Gilbert Mushangazhike for inspiring Rhinos to victory.

“Rhinos played very well. I think we did our homework properly.

“I am very happy with the veterans in my camp as they played beautiful football. I am very proud of them,” he said. “We are still in the relegation zone and we are still trying to avoid it.”

How Mine dropped one rung down the ladder from position eight to remain on 32 points after the defeat, the first for coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube since he took over the reins at the gold miners.

Beefy conceded his side was outclassed by the soldiers.

“They beat us left, right and centre. This is football and it happens. We lost all systems out,” Ncube said.

“We did not come to the party and Rhinos came better prepared. The first defeat was always going to come, but we need to regroup and come up with a positive result.”

How Mine will be away to troubled Motor Action in their next league match.

The hosts were destabilised in the middle of the park by Rhinos with the trio of Menard Mupera, Ocean Mpofu and Arnold Ndiweni out of their game while goalkeeper Ephraim Mazarura was also suspect in the first two goals.

The first goal came as early as the fourth minute from a Wilson Chakanyuka cross which eluded Mazarura after a bounce in the penalty box and Marufu nodded the ball with ease to put the soldiers in the lead.

Two minutes after the break, Mushangazhike shrugged of a challenge from How Mine skipper Hebert Dick on the right and and with Gilbert Banda in sixes and sevens inside the box, Marufu rose with another flashing header past a still Mazarura.

How Mine came close in the dying minutes, but from a counter-attack, Marufu sent in another cross and Chiwunga’s header sealed the victory for the soldiers 10 minutes before the final whistle.

The hosts could have pulled one back in the 54th minute with a speculative cross from right back Brighton Dube which hit the cross bar and a flat-footed Timothy January failed to capitalize on the rebound.

Marufu and Mushangazhike upfront and the trio of Blessing Sande, Brian Muzondiwa and Wonder Kapinda won the game for Rhinos in the centre.