CAPS United recovered from last week’s embarrassing defeat away to Chapungu with a convincing win over Shabanie Mine at the National Sports Stadium yesterday as the Green Machine’s impressive home run continued.
HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER
Caps United……….. (1) 3 Shabanie Mine………… 0
Former Shabanie Mine midfielder Pervington Zimunya opened the scoring with a first-half beauty before Ronald Pfumbidzai put the game beyond the struggling visitors from the spot after goalkeeper Victor Twaliki had carelessly brought down Godknows Mangani.
Malawian import Gerald Phiri ensured a convincing win for United with a simple tap-in from a rebound in added time.
Caps United coach Taurai Mangwiro said the win was a welcome relief after last week’s debacle which saw some of the players staging a mini strike over salaries and bonuses, whose effect was a 0-3 hiding at Chapungu.
Shabanie Mine coach John Phiri whose team was also involved in a salary dispute before the match, said his players never came to the party.
The hosts started well and deservedly went ahead just 12 minutes into the game when Zimunya curled in a spectacular left-footed effort from outside the box to beat the badly positioned Twaliki.
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Caps United had a good three chances soon after the goal, striker Leonard Fiyado wasting two of them.
The small-framed striker tried to find a teammate when put through on goal before scooping his effort over after Twaliki had made a mess of a save.
Shabanie were seeing much of the ball, but it was the hosts who fashioned the next good chance once again, Zimunya dragging his shot wide from inside the penalty area on 35th minute.
Zimunya continued to trouble the Shabanie backline, with another effort, this time his shot from inside the box tipped over.
Daniel Chakupe’s rising shot from an acute angle rattled the cross bar, but still there was no shot on target for the visitors as the match dragged towards the half-time break.
Deep into first half optional time, Ashley Mukwena turned sharply inside the box, but still could not find the target as Caps went into the break leading.
That pattern of play continued in the second half, Chungwa forcing a good save from Twaliki early on. The nearest Shabanie Mine got close to scoring was when Godknows Murwira hit the side netting from a free-kick on the hour mark.
Mangwiro introduced Mangani on 70th minute and the former Black Mambas midfielder was immediately involved, racing through towards goal but was illegally brought down by Twaliki for a penalty.
Pfumbidzai took responsibility and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way. Phiri put the icing on the cake deep into injury time, hitting the nets from a rebound after Chungwa’s initial shot from point blank had been blocked.
