CHICKEN INN........(0) 0
DYNAMOS..............(0) 2
TIMELY substitutions by coach Herbert Maruwa ensured Dynamos secured maximum points on the road as they edged Chicken Inn in an exciting Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Elton Chikona got the opener for the visitors in the 68th minute with a cracker inside the penalty box before Elie Ilunga's goal extinguished Chicken Inn's hopes at the death.
Second half substitutes Emmanuel Paga and Ilunga were instrumental in the first goal with the former initiating a beautiful build-up before Chikona let off a screamer from close range.
Ilunga picked a seemingly out-of- play ball on the touchline in the 90th minute and swung in a harmless looking cross which eluded an off-position Chicken Inn goalkeeper Donovan Bernard.
And that was the end of Chicken Inn.
Paga came in for Keith Madera in the 65th minute while Ilunga replaced an ineffective Denver Mukamba at half time.
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Ilunga could have found the net for Dynamos two minutes after the break but his effort in a goal-mouth melee was saved by Chicken Inn goalkeeper Donovan Bernard before the ball was cleared away for a corner.
The two goals by Chikona and Ilunga separated the two sides who were at par on 22 points before the match.
Dynamos' coach Maruwa, who had been living on borrowed time at Dynamos, was elated by the win.
"I am happy. Like I have been saying, we have been playing well at Barbourfields. The last time we came here we played FC Platinum, we got a point, played Highlanders we got a point, Hwange we got a point and today we got three points. So as a team there is a lot of progress especially after the break, the team is in good shape," Maruwa said.
His opposite Prince Matore was disappointed.
"I am disappointed. We did well but unfortunaley we lost 2-0. When we were down 1-0, I thought we were going to get a goal to get a point but we lost. We lost it on the concentration on marking and few errors by defenders," Matore said.
Chicken Inn had the first shot at goal in the 12th minute with George Majika's bullet from outside the penalty box finding Dynamos goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa equal to the task with a spectacular save.
Dynamos however, had the upperhand from the outset keeping Chicken Inn in their half and two minutes after Majika's attempt, Arthur Musiyiwa let down the DeMbare faithfuls with a howler inside the penalty box.
It became a balanced affair as the hosts quickly settled down.
Then the first half degenerated into a slow affair with flashes of brilliance here and there from Chicken Inn's Michael Charamba and veteran Tafadzwa Kutinyu and the visitors' Tanaka Shandirwa in the centre but that could not yield any goals.
The GameCocks gaffer, also feeling the heat made two changes, bringing in Brian Muza and Genius Mtungamiri for Majika and Kutinyu five minutes into the second half.
Chikona had another effort sail over the cross-bar on the hour mark from inside the box with Dynamos's fans at the Mpilo End up in the air in celebration.
Teams
Chicken Inn: D Bernard, M Hwata (C Augusto 62'), X Ndlovu, M Bhebhe, G Majika (B Muza 40'), A Chinda, C Dzingai, D Jaricha, S Mhlanga, T Kutinyu (G Mtungamiri 50'), M Charamba (O Malajila 62')
Dynamos: P Tafiremutsa, S Nyahwa, K Moyo, E Moyo, D Mukamba (E Ilunga 46'), D Zvinyai, E Jalai, E Chikona, A Musiyiwa, K Madera (E Paga 65'), T Shandirwa
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Fixtures & Results
Yesterday: Manica Diamonds 1-0 Cranborne Bullets, FC Platinum 0-1 Yadah, Ngezi Platinum Stars 0-1 Simba Bhora, ZPC Kariba 0-0 Sheasham, Chicken Inn 0-2 Dynamos, CAPS United 2-0 GreenFuel
Today: Triangle v Bulawayo Chiefs (Gibbo), Black Rhinos v Hwange (Bata), Herentals v Highlanders (Mandava)
