BY HENRY MHARA

Dynamos . . . . . . . . .  . . . . (1) 2

BULAWAYO CHIEFS . . . . . . . . 0

DYNAMOS maintained pressure on log leaders FC Platinum with a comfortable win over Bulawayo Chiefs at the National Sports Stadium in Harare  yesterday, even though the scoreline could have been more emphatic.

There was plenty for coach Tonderai Ndiraya to be thrilled about as his team came through this tricky fixture without breaking sweat, with his only complaint being that his strikers continue to disappoint in front of goal.

The Harare giants were not as fluid as they were last week when they dismantled Chicken Inn 3-0, but still largely dominated play from start to finish.

Even by the time Trevor Mavhunga ghosted on the blind side to head home a fine delivery from Godknows Murwira deep in first half injury time, they could easily have been out of sight by then.

Tinotenda Muringai and Tinashe Makanda missed good headed opportunities to put DeMbare in front earlier on.

The hosts continued to dominate after the break, but it took them until the referee’s optional time to kill off the match when substitute Evans Katema converted from a penalty to finally break his scoring duck.

Substitute Emmanuel Paga had won them the penalty after he was brought down in the box by goalkeeper Matripples Mleya.

Ndiraya was not happy that it took them that long to finally put the result beyond doubt.

“We could have scored more,” Ndiraya said.

Perhaps, he was referring to two glaring chances that were missed by Paga and Katema moments before the second goal.

With Chiefs throwing bodies forward looking for an equaliser, which they could have snatched on 90th minute had substitute Arkoli Dela kept his header down they were twice caught on the break with Paga and Katema both running clear at Mleya, but on all occasions, they horribly fluffed their lines.

“We continue to work with our forwards and I’m glad that Evans scored today after enduring a very long dry spell. I’m happy about that, but we will continue to work in that department so that we become more clinical. We had so many chances that we failed to put away again today. There is nothing much we can do besides putting more hours in training and make sure that they become more clinical,” Ndiraya said.

The victory took Dynamos into second position on the log standings, overtaking Chicken Inn due to a superior goal difference. The two teams are both on 42 points, eight behind log leaders FC Platinum.

“I’m happy for the win. That is what is important now,” Ndiraya said.

“We are in a recovery process, recovering from a phase that we went through which was a difficult phase for that matter. I’m happy that we are coming out of that phase. If we get three wins in a row, then I will safely say we are out of the phase. I wanted us to replicate the performance that we had at Chicken Inn, but I didn’t really get that from the team, but all the same they put in a good shift. We were playing a team with no pressure at all so when you play a team like that they play the way they want. Chiefs played well, especially after the introduction of Perfect Chikwende and Elvis Moyo, they looked more composed.

“They had better quality on the ball than us. We were now hitting them on the break of which we did in the end when we won the penalty. We were forced to defend deep later in the match obviously because of the long balls they were playing, but eventually we managed to kill off the match. Overall a very good match although in the first half we were not ourselves. We were slow but we slowly came back into it towards the halftime whistle.”

Bulawayo Chiefs are on 10th position with 29 points.

Their coach Nilton Terroso looked unhappy about a lot of things during the match and led his bench in confronting the match officials at the final whistle.

Midway through the second half, a member of his technical team was sent off for remonstrating with the match officials after a penalty appeal when Arthur Musiyiwa tumbled inside the box had been waved away.

The Portuguese wasn’t in talking mood at full-time, with his bizarre post-match interview lasting just over 15 seconds.

“I think we played well. Congratulations to Dynamos and I wish them well until the end of the season. That’s all I have to say. I don’t have an opinion on anything else.”

Teams

Dynamos: T Mvula, P Jaure, B Mpofu, F Makarati, T Muringai, J Makunike (S Chatikobo, 85’), T Mavhunga, G Murwira, K Murera, T Makanda (E Katema, 85′), A Orotomal (E Paga, 60’)

Bulawayo Chiefs: M Mleya, B Nyahunzvi, H Chikosa (P Chikwende, 65′), L Ndlela, A Musiyiwa, O Chirinda, E Chikwende (E Moyo, 65’), K Moyo, F Moyo, F Matare (A Dela, 88’)

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