How Mine fight off Yadah
Munyaradzi Diya produced brilliant saves to inspire 10-man How Mine to a hard fought victory over a highly determined Yadah Stars FC in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
How Mine’s victory saw them moving three places up the ladder into fourth place.
The gold miners are now tied on 24 points with third-placed Chicken Inn, who have a better goal difference.
Diya kept his side in the game with a double save in the 18th minute by first blocking a Johannes Sibanda shot before tipping Paulo Borges’ attempt from the rebound out for a corner.
Two minutes later, Diya again went airborne to push Borges’ header out.
Yadah’s control of the first half lasted for half an hour as How Mine struggled to keep up with the visitors’ attackers led by Leeroy Mavunga and Borges.
How Mine crept back into the game after coach Kelvin Kaindu instructed his players to keep possession and build-up through the midfield.
A quick exchange of passes between Pasca Manhanga and Kuda Musharu opened up Yadah’s defence for the first time, and midfielder Marvelous Mukumba was denied by goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube in a one-on-one situation in the 31st minute.
But there was no denying Manhanga two minutes later when his strike from the edge of the box took an awkward bounce and beat Dube at the near post.
The home side was then dealt a blow when Mukumba received his second booking in the 41st minute leaving his team with 10 men.
However, Mukumba’s expulsion did not deter How Mine, who doubled their lead on the stroke of halftime through Toto Banda, who toe-poked the ball into the net after keeper Dube spilled Musharu’s effort.
The goal infuriated Yadah coach Jairos Tapera, who felt his defenders could have cleared the ball.
“Defensively we were poor in the first half and if you look at the first goal, the keeper was hit at the near post and the second one the central defenders were sleeping. That was our biggest undoing,”said Tapera.
With a bit of luck, How Mine could have killed off the contest early in the second half had the upright not denied Banda in the 53rd minute with Dube beaten.
Three minutes later, Yadah pulled one back through a beautiful curler from inside the box by Wellington Kamudyariwa. After the goal, Yadah piled pressure on How Mine, but found Diya resolute.
“We thank God for these maximum points. We didn’t play our normal game and the red card affected our game plan because we were always defending.
The good thing is that this victory makes us move up the table, which is a relief,” said Kaindu.
*Teams* How Mine: Munyaradzi Diya, Praise Tonha (Peter Moyo, 46th minute), Thembani Masuku (Nelson tachi, 78th minute), Mukundika Sakala, Frank Makarati, Marvelous Mukumba, Tsepo Ranthokoane, Pasca Manhanga (Nqobile Ndlovu, 65th minute), Toto Banda, Kuda Musharu, Timothy January
Yadah: Tafadzwa Dube, Moses Demera, Morris Musiyakuvi (Munyaradzi Nyenye, 50th minute), Jimmy dzingai, Regis Dongo, Brian mapfumo, Wellington Kamudyariwa, Leeroy Mavunga, Paulo Borges (Leeroy Murape, 50th minute), Johannes Sibanda (Milton Makopa, 75th minute), Munyaradzi Chiwara
*Results*
Tuesday: Caps United 3-0 Bantu Rovers
Wednesday: Chapungu 1-0 Bulawayo City, Chicken Inn 2-0 ZPC Kariba, FC Platinum 0-0 Harare City, Black Rhinos 3-0 Highlanders, Triangle United 3-1 Shabanie Mine
Yesterday: Bantu Rovers 1-1 Tsholotsho FC, How Mine 2-1 Yadah FC, Dynamos v Ngezi Platinum (National Sports Stadium, 7PM), Hwange v Caps United (Postponed) The Chronicle
