Dynamos thump ‘noisy neighbours’ CAPS United

By Augustine Hwata

CAPS United………….0

Dynamos…………..… (2) 3

If Dynamos are to defend their Premiership crown, they will look back at this victory as the turning point of their campaign. You simply had to be at the National Sports Stadium yesterday to believe this.

While most editions of the Harare Derby have been decided by a single goal margin, this was different. And it got worse for CAPS United yesterday when they were once again pummelled into submission by their rivals Dynamos in a Castle Lager Premiership tie.

After yesterday’s 70th version of the derby, DeMbare, who have been roaring as the dominant bull since 2009, kept the pressure on log leader leaders Highlanders while their noisy neighbours, CAPS United fell to their seventh defeat on the trot.

CAPS United have not won a league match since they beat Hardbody 1-0 at Ascot during Round 10 and find themselves deep in relegation. The club fired coach Northern Irishman, Sean Connor, but the results have remained elusive for Taurai Mangwiro who succumbed to his third defeat in as many games.

It’s still looking all gloomy for CAPS United who travel to Sakubva to play Buffaloes in the next match.At times one can feel sorry for CAPS United players who were high in confidence in the build-up to the game but walked away with tears in their eyes yesterday.

CAPS United got of the blocks fine and appeared like a well-oiled machine with the dream striking partnership of Shingi Kawondera and Evan Gwekwerere leading the search for goals. But it was in-form striker Farai Mupasiri who gave Dynamos the advantage when he capitalised on a defensive mix-up to push the ball home in the 36th minute.

Winger Murape Murape swung a high ball from the right and Mupasiri went for the kill while CAPS United goalkeeper Muzondiwa Gonese collided with his defender Blessing Zabula inside the box. Gonese, for all his experience, shouldn’t have come out for that ball if he wasn’t sure he would have collected it.

The goal sent the Dynamos fans, who were the majority by a mile in the terraces, into a frenzy and they did not feel sorry for Zabula who was receiving medical attention. There was a four-minute stoppage as Zabula was attended to and at the restart, Dynamos further increased the lead when, once again, Murape’s corner-kick from the right channel was headed past Gonese by Guthrie Zhokinyi.

Zhokinyi’s goal sent the DeMbare fans into delirium as the defending league champions took a comfortable lead before the break. After the breather, CAPS United tried to claw back into the game but the body language of their players showed they had resigned to yet another defeat.

Only Hardlife Zvirekwi showed some life as he tried to open space on the right but was left down by poor finishing.

As time ticked, on some CAPS United fans started trickling out of the stadium and they did not witness Dynamos third goal when Cliff Sekete fired home to beat a badly positioned Gonese from the edge of the box.

Naturally, Mangwiro was livid after the defeat and believes his players lacked the fighting spirit after conceding the first two goals. “It becomes more painful when you lose to your bitter rivals by such a magnitude.

“I am very disappointed with this outcome. We started the match very strongly and I think that the guys gave a good fight. But there were those two minutes of madness when we conceded two goals and the game turned against us,” said Mangwiro.

When Mupasiri gave DeMbare the lead, Mangwiro had hoped for a comeback only for his players to fell further behind.

“Unfortunately we could not rise after Dynamos doubled their lead. They guys should have tried hard but it was not so. Another thing is that we were forced to make injury-induced substitutions,” said Mangwiro.

Despite failing to win a match since taking over from Connor, Mangwiro remains confident that CAPS United will pull away from the relegation equation.

“We lost the battle but the war is still on. Ever since we took over, we have been changing players here and there.

“We have been trying to get a winning formula but it has not been the case. It’s only a matter of time before we start winning and if you look at Motor Action, they lost three games but they are now winning,” said Mangwiro.

While Mangwiro was left wondering what hit them, DeMbare assistant coach, Tonderayi Ndiraya, believes they could have won by even five goals.

“It was a game of two halves for me. We played well in the first half but we did not do quite so well in the second half,” said Ndiraya. They guys were fighting hard for the ball and I think we could have scored four or five goals. We wasted numerous clear chances and overally we created better chances than CAPS United.”

Teams

CAPS United: M. Gonese, A. Nhongo, T. Kumbuyani, T. Samanja, R. Kutsanzira, B. Zabula, T. Munyanduri, N. Mukumbi (H. Zvirekwi 46th min), E. Gwekwerere (P. Tafirenyika 62nd min), M. Samaneka (L. Fiyado 46th min), S. Kawondera

Dynamos: G. Chigova, T. Magorimbo, O. Mushure, P. Jaure, G. Zhokinyi, D. Chafa (T. 59th Mamvura min), T. Muparati, D. Mukamba (C. Sekete 77th min) R. Mutuma, M. Murape (T. Mabvura 67th min), F. Mupasiri