From Lovemore Zigara in GWERU
Hardbody . . . . . . .. . . 0
Highlanders . . . . . (2) 2
HIGHLANDERS turned on the show in the first half and did enough to keep alive their battle for the Castle Lager Premiership title with a crucial victory in this tricky assignment at Ascot yesterday.
The Bulawayo giants, chasing their first title in six years, knew the consequences of failing to take maximum points, in this riveting championship battle that has held the entire country spellbound.
But they all but settled the nerves of their big contingent of fans, the majority of whom made the trip from the City of Kings and turned Ascot into a mini-Barbourfields, with a storming first-half show.
And Bosso also pushed Hardbody closer to relegation and if the Gweru side fail to win their next match against Black Mambas in Harare, which is now a six-pointer for both teams, they will be relegated before they complete their full package of 30 league matches.
It has been a tough debut season for Hardbody whose rise into the Premiership was delayed by some boardroom challenges with Beitbridge side, Tripple B, questioning their crowning as Division One champions.
Hardbody eventually won the protracted boardroom battle but, as fate would have it, they were all but relegated from the Premiership on the same day that Tripple B’s promotion from the Central Region Division One league was confirmed.
You know the football gods are not in your corner when, facing such a tough battle just to stay in the top-flight league, two of your last three games are against Highlanders and Dynamos.
You know, as Hardbody probably do now, that the gods have turned against you when the home advantage, which is supposed to help your cause, is neutralised by the fact that Highlanders’ fans come and turn Ascot into their adopted home ground.
It will be the same story, in Hardbody’s final game of the season against Dynamos at the same venue, if the Glamour Boys don’t wrap up their championship campaign in the penultimate round of the programme and come to Gweru with the title at stake.
Credit should go to Bosso, for the professional way they went about their business and turned a cagey assignment into a manageable one, after taking full control in the first half.
Kevin Kaindu’s men have done well all season on the road, losing only once at Rufaro in that blowout against Monomotapa, and yesterday they showed their quality once again.
A 22nd minute strike by Mthulisi Maphosa and Cleopas Dube’s header five minutes before the breather saw Bosso taking maximum points to the City of Kings.
The result ensured that Bosso maintains the heat on rivals and leaders Dynamos who had to come from a goal behind to win 2-1 against Monomotapa.
Bosso fans outnumbered the Hardbody fans and silenced the coalition of supporters that also featured the DeMbare fans who had come to back the home team’s cause.
Kaindu’s men were faster out of the blocks and took the lead in the 22nd minute after a corner was poorly dealt with and Maphosa fired home.
Goalkepper Ashley Rayners had no chance.
Highlanders moved a gear up and virtually camped in the Hardbody half.
Bekhimpilo Ncube could have increased their advantage in the 33rd minute after he was set up by Maphosa but he shot wide.
Amid all these waves of attacks, there was a response from the home team when Owen Motsi unleashed a powerful effort, from just outside the box, but Warriors’ goalie Ariel Sibanda was on guard.
This was a Bosso show, loud and clear, and they duly went further ahead when, from another corner, Knox Mtizwa flighted a beauty, the defensive frailties within the home side in dealing with such situations reared their ugly head again, and Cleopas Dube punished them.
Stung by the goals the home side’s coach, Godfrey Tamirepi, threw caution to the wind a made a double substitution, bringing in Richard Jongwe and Callisto Maheya for Owen Motsi and Dumisani Mufudze at the stroke of half time.
Tamirepi has made a name for himself in recent years plying his trade in Botswana but, back home, he must have quickly noticed that it’s a different ball game altogether because the level is a notch higher.
To his credit, his brave move appeared to pay dividends as, in the second half, Hardbody took the game to their opponents.
And in the 54th minute, the busmen could have pulled one back through Maheya but his shot was punched back into play by Sibanda.
Hardbody continued their search for goals with substitute Nhlanhla Ncube causing some anxious moments for his former paymasters.
But Bosso held on.
“There was nothing wrong with tactics because tactics do no win games,” said Tamirepi.
“We were only unfortunate because we did not utilise our chances.
“As of now we are now dead and buried in as far as relegation is concerned but we are going to fight for pride until the end.”
Kaindu paid tribute to his charges.
“It was a good game and I am happy that the guys converted their chances in the first half,” said Kaindu. The Chronicle
Teams
Hardbody: A. Rayners, B. Juru, A. Chuma, J. Muzokomba, S. Alimenda, R. Useni, H. Gravel, P. Manhope (N. Ncube 62nd min), O Motsi (R Jongwe 45th min), D Mufudze (C Maheya 45 min)
Highlanders: A. Sibanda, L. Nkomo (B Tshuma (66th min), M Maphosa, B Kangwa, M. Mambare, H. Masuku, K Mutizwa (A Ndiweni 86th min), I. Mapuranga, C. Dube, B. Ncube (S Munawa 62nd min)
