HIGHLANDERS. . . . . . . . . . (1) 2
ARENEL MOVERS. . . . . . . . ( 0) 0
Bulawayo Chiefs . . . . . . .(0) 1
Ngezi Platinum . . . . . . . .(0) 1
HIGHLANDERS finally remembered how to win as they they put up a brilliant first half performance to edge city neighbours Arenel Movers in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barboufields Stadium yesterday.
Despite the win, Highlanders remain on position five with 41 points.
Lynoth Chikuhwa finished off from a rebound after McKinnon Mushore's shot hit the bar to put Highlanders ahead in the 40th minute.
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Substitute Gillian Nyathi put the icing on the cake in optional time with a gem of a goal, curling a long range shot to beat the outstretched Arenel goalkeeper Aaron Ngwenya at the far post.
Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu was ecstatic to finally win a match after a long winless streak.
Bosso last won a premiership tie last month when they beat Bikita Minerals before two draws against Ngezi and Chicken Inn. They then lost to Herentals and Caps United.
"It was not an easy game. In the first round we struggled playing against local teams but for us to get maximum points today we had to work for the victory. At the end of the match we scored two beautiful goals although we could have come up with a good score line if we had capitalised on all the opportunities we had," Kaindu said.
His opposite Philani "Beefy" Ncube believes his side played better than Highlanders.
"Dominating cannot bring results. We outplayed them. They scored. Our goalkeeper saved the efforts they were supposed to score. Those [goals] they scored, we gifted them. But we are not going to be relegated as you might think. We were a better side, but we lost," Ncube said.
Highlanders attacked Arenel Movers from the start, but were not accurate in front of goal.
In one of those moments Arenel were quick on the counter-raids.
In the 28th minute, Bosso survived a scare from Arenel Movers when striker Timothy January unleashed a screamer inside the penalty box after he was set up by Toto Banda, but the Bulawayo giants' goalkeeper punched the ball back into play.
Five minutes later, goalkeeper Ngwenya made a spectacular save for his side, stretching wide to collect an equally brilliant header by Melikhaya Ncube from an Andrew Mbeba cross.
Ngwenya had earlier made another save from a Mckinnon Mushore shot before the rebound was collected by Chikuhwa who rolled the ball to Mbeba to cross.
In the 39th minute, Ngwenya made another save from a Godfrey Makaruse shot on the edge of the box.
Arenel got a free-kick in the 65th minute and substitute Njabulo Ngwenya's well-taken shot met with an alert Highlanders goal minder Sibanda, who was equal to the task.
The second half turned into a mediocre affair, with the substitution of Ncube for Honest Mhlanga switching off the Bulawayo giants' engine room as pressure mounted on defensive linkman Mason Mushore, who fought a lone battle in the centre.
An ineffective Mhlanga was replaced by Gillian Nyathi after playing 27 minutes of the second half.
Meanwhile, at Luveve Stadium, Chiefs managed to hold a 10-man Ngezi Platinum Stars who had captain Chigwida sent off in the first half.
The hosts scored first through Reason Sibanda in the 63rd minute before an own goal by Robert Kwaramba in the 73rd levelled the score line.
