FC Platinum wallop How Mine

Sport
FC PLATINUM coach Norman Mapeza was a happy man yesterday after his charges dismissed visiting How Mine at Mandava Stadium to register their third victory of the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.

FC PLATINUM . . . . .(2) 3 HOW MINE . . . . . . . . . 0

FC PLATINUM coach Norman Mapeza was a happy man yesterday after his charges dismissed visiting How Mine at Mandava Stadium to register their third victory of the 2015 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.

By Own Correspondent

Wisdom Mutasa, Obrey Chirwa and super substitute Wellington Kamudyariwa scored a goal each to ease pressure on their coach. After the match, Mapeza said he hoped yesterday’s result was a sign of good things to come.

Norman Mapeza
Norman Mapeza

“Consistency is what we were searching for and hopefully the results will keep on coming. We worked hard for this victory, but we are still work in progress as we tend to give away possession easily at times and we have to rectify that lest we get punished,” Mapeza said.

How Mine were left to rue their decision to play without wide midfielders as the hosts took advantage with Elvis Moyo flourishing as an overlapping left wingback.

And as a result, visiting goalkeeper Donovan Bernard was a busy man in the first half hour of the game where he twice had to fist away ferocious shots by Zambian forward Chirwa.

The second block on 28 minutes earned the hosts a corner that was taken by Mutasa and the Young Warriors linkman went on to open the scoring direct from the corner kick.

Chirwa added a second after being set up by Elvis Moyo who had gone on a fine run on the left flank after being stylishly released by Gahadzikwa and squared for the Zambian striker who let go a screamer that Bernard never saw.

How Mine came back from the break rejuvenated and with a bit of luck could have found the target.

This was as a result of tactical changes by the visitors’ technical team that saw Benjamin Marere playing wide on the right flank with Timothy January taking up a similar position on the left.

These positional changes neutralised the FC Platinum wide defenders Elvis and Raphael Muduviwa, but the visitors failed to turn their dominance into goals.

The arrival of Charles and Mgcini Sibanda, who replaced January and Limited Chikafa on 69 minutes, saw the intensity of How Mine’s attacks go up a gear and the visitors thought they had pulled one back on 84 minutes but Wonder Sithole’s effort was ruled out for offside by first assistant referee Allen Parehwa.

Kamudyariwa then sealed victory for the hosts on 90 minutes when he lobbed Bernard after the How Mine keeper had punched a powerful Simon Shoko onto his path.

How Mine coach Luke Masomere, whose side had come into yesterday’s game bubbling with confidence following their 6-0 demolition of Whawha last weekend, said the Mandava result was not a true reflection of the game.

“We played well regardless of the fact that we lost by 3-0 and by that I am not trying to take away the fact that FC Platinum played well,” Masomere said.

“We lacked concentration in the first half, but we came back stronger in the second and could have scored three goals ourselves had we been lucky,” he said. FC Paltinum took their points tally to 10 following yesterday’s convincing victory.

Teams FC Platinum F Tizayi, R Muduviwa, E Moyo, G Bello, K Moyo, W Mhango, A Gahadzikwa, W Mtasa (E Mandiranga 86), B Muzondiwa (S Shoko 58) , T Rukanda (W Kamudyariwa 71), O Chirwa

How Mine D Bernad, T Khumbuyani, M Gutu, N Tachi, N Mukumbi, M Mupera, H Masuku (B Marere 45), W Sithole, K Musharu, L Chikafa (M Sibanda), T January (C Sibanda)