By Jeffrey Muvundusi at BARBOURFILEDS
BULAWAYO – The Dynamos train was yesterday stopped in its tracks after they were held to a goalless draw by 10-man bogey side Chicken Inn in a goalless premiership encounter played here.
With DeMbare fans expecting a thrilling encounter filled with goals as has been the case in their last six games where they have prevailed over their opponents, yesterday was a different day as they did not only fail to score but play meaningful football.
So dull was the match that it also failed to produce the quality and entertaining football usually anticipated when the two teams clash.
There was little goal-mouth action from both camps.
For the better part of the first half, both teams were engaged in rough tackles, some of them dangerous with Dynamos being the bigger culprit, hence killing the flow of the game.
As a result referee of the day Arnold Ncube was forced to issue half a dozen yellow cards and a red card to Moses Majika for a second bookable offence in the 66th minute.
Those who earned the yellow cards include Dynamos duo of Denver Mukamba and Obey Mwerahari while the host had Passmore Bernard, Obadiah Tarumbwa and Majika cautioned.
After the match, Dynamos stand-in coach Biggy Zuze was content with the draw.
“It’s a point gained away from home, but we lost two valuable points with the advantage that we thought we had,” Zuze said.
“The tempo of the game was high…on our side the guys did very well. In the first half we didn’t penetrate, we didn’t have many attempts at goal as we are used to do but in the second half we tried to come back into the game and we had two or three good chances.
“With a bit of luck we could have scored.”
His opposite number Rahman Gumbo, however, decrided the referee for killing their game plan.
“I don’t usually like to talk about referees but the referee made a lot of questionable decisions which affected our game plan. If you look at the way Dynamos were playing in the first half, they were going in hard but the referee let them get away without punishment,” Gumbo said.
He was, however, quick to say he had no complaints with the red card given to Majika as the decision was justified.
He added: “Maybe they were not comfortable with our play, they were scared of us which I don’t mind because my players are used to it, some of those tackles were not football tackles. But a draw was a fair result.”
Back to the game, Chicken Inn appeared too strong in the opening stages. Majika could have scored in the 11th minute after he beat his marker on the edge of the box before unleashing a powerful shot that had to take the theatrics of Dynamos goal minder Tonderai Mateyaunga who parried the ball over the bar.
Despite being one man down, the hosts still appeared dangerous matching the visitors man for man.
Dynamos’s clear chance was on 80 minutes when Christian Ntouba who had a poor afternoon beat three of his markers but his shot at goal disappointingly went wide.
In the end a draw was a fair result. Daily News
