Ngezi Platinum coach Tonderai Ndiraya refused to be flattered by their demolition of ailing Shabanie Mine in a Castle Lager Premiership encounter at Baobab yesterday and warned his players to keep their feet on the ground.
Ndiraya’s men who have recovered from their mid-season slump reduced the gap between leaders FC Platinum and time to just a point after the champions fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat by Harare City at Rufaro.
Ngezi became the latest side to pile misery on a demotivated Shabanie side that have been struggling without financial resources.
Ndiraya welcomed the win, but urged his charges not to get carried away and focus on their next assignment against Mutare City at Vengere.
“I am very happy with the win, but we are not being carried away. We are focussing on the game against Mutare at Vengere, but I am proud of my boys,” said Ndiraya.
It only took eight minutes for Ngezi to start the onslaught when James Ngulube punished the Shabanie defenders for failing to clear their lines.
Two minutes later Ngezi added another through midfielder Master Chawodza who came to the end of a Ngulube pass.
Shabanie then tried to piece together some passes in the 22nd minute involving Nigel Papias and Tarisai Rukanda which saw the former being brought down in the box, but the Zvishavane side’s appeals for a penalty were turned down by referee Pedzisai Chadya.
Their woes would be compounded further in the 28th minute when they left Ngulube unmarked and he fed Donald Teguru who charged towards the goal and slid the ball between the legs of advancing goalkeeper Petros Moyo.
Shabanie tried to come back in the second half, but Papias and Rukanda’s efforts went in vain.
In the 52nd minute Ngulube completed his brace after he had been sent through by Chawodza with the striker outpacing his marker to slot home past a diving Moyo.
There were more problems for Shabanie as Tichaona Mabvura struck in the 74th minute when he nodded home from a Teguru long pass from the right flank
Shabanie then got their consolation from the spot kick after Frank Mukarati had brought down Papias. Papias rose up to find his mark past Nelson Chadya. The Herald
