Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1 Hwange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 2
Sukoluhle Mthethwa Sports Reporter
HWANGE eased their relegation woes when they beat troubled Chicken Inn 2-1 in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Warriors striker Tendai Ndoro thrust Chicken Inn ahead with a well-taken penalty in the 40th minute taking his tally for the season to 14 goals.
Hwange got their opening goal from Eric Chipeta 47 seconds into the second half while David Boriwondo scored the second for Chipangano in the 55th minute.
Yesterday’s loss was the third defeat for Chicken Inn in a row as they bowed out of the Mbada Diamonds Cup in a 1-2 loss to Caps United at Ascot Stadium in Gweru last Saturday before losing to the Green Machine by the same scoreline on Wednesday.
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Chicken Inn are still on sixth position with 36 points from 25 games while Hwange moved up to position 10 with 32 points from the same number of games.
Chicken Inn coach Mandla Mpofu lamented the team’s poor defence.
“It is football. These are bad days. I am very disappointed. We have lost three matches in a row and today was just disappointing,” he said.
“We poorly defended and goalkeeping was bad and as much as we want a solution this is really bad.
“It is becoming difficult for us to maintain our goals for the season and finishing in the top four will depend on how the other teams will play and only if a miracle happens.
“We did not get to the ball first and Hwange could have scored two or three goals in the first. We were not playing as a team and we lack somthing,” he added.
Hwange coach Nation Dube said they would not throw in the towel yet.
“It was a good game we dominated especially in the first half and after the half-time break we did well,” he said.
“In the second half we played even better than the first. This was the second penalty that we have missed in two games.
“The first was in the Mbada match (against Harare City). The result means we have to survive. We have always said that we are not fighting relegation, but we are in an unfamiliar position and this is our chance to move up.”
Hwange could have gone a goal up when they were awarded a penalty by referee Philani Ncube in the 21st minute after Oscar Lungu was brought down in the box by Moses Jackson.
Chipeta wasted the opportunity as he shot wide.
Chicken Inn were also awarded a penalty following a foul on Ndoro by Gerald Ndlovu.
Ndoro opted to take the kick and sent it to the right past a diving Hwange goalkeeper Takabva Mawaya.
Hwange came back charging from the break and after 47 seconds Boriwondo got the equaliser when he headed in a Chipeta free-kick.
Chipeta made up for his earlier miss when he put Hwange a goal up with a speculative effort that drew Chicken Inn goalkeeper Njabulo Nyoni off his line, but went too high and fast for him to collect — nestling into the back of the net in the 55th minute.
Hwange had to make an injury-inspired substitution following injury to Munyaradzi Mungadze after 76 minutes.
He had to be carried off the field in an ambulance.
