Chicken Inn.....................(2)2
Green Fuel..........................0
Chicken Inn notched up their first home victory with a commanding display after defeating Green Fuel at Luveve Stadium in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Luveve Stadium yesterday.
The first half belonged to Chicken Inn as they dominated proceedings from the first minute and they were rewarded with two goals which sealed the maximum points for the former champions.
Brighton Makopa netted Chicken Inn's first goal at Luveve Stadium after just two minutes of action, firing from the right to beat Nedrick Madeya. The goal unsettled Green Fuel and appeared to have offset their game plan.
The Gamecocks could have been two up after 26 minutes, but Itai Mabunu's powerful shot from a corner kick was disallowed for a foul on Donald Ngoma, who tumbled inside the box after an aerial tussle with the defender.
In the 35th minute, Madeya went out of his line in an attempt to thwart Michael Charamba, but he completely missed the ball; skipper Raymond Uchena was on hand to mop up the mess.
The industrious Charamba scored the second goal for Chicken Inn with a brilliant finish inside the box. The winger controlled a Xolani Ndlovu cross after the Green Fuel defenders were caught napping and he fired a thunderbolt from an acute angle, which squeezed past Madeya.
The Gamecocks went to the break on the ascendency and Green Fuel had a lot to ponder on at halftime.
Even though they came back with a positive attitude in the second half, the Rodwell Dhlakama-coached outfit struggled to penetrate the Gamecocks defence.
They had a close penalty shout turned down by referee Owen Manende after James Nguluve's shirt appeared to have been pulled inside the box by Itai Mabunu but the appeal was waved away in the 69th minute.
It was the Gamecocks, who could have added a third with some quick breaks. First it was Brian Muza in the 53rd minute but he shot agonisingly wide with Madeya beaten.
Then Makopa failed to beat the keeper in the 65th minute after outpacing Munyaradzi Diro Nyenye, but he had an option to pass to an unmarked Muza.
Dhlakama said that the early goal they conceded disrupted their gameplan.
"It was a very difficult game for us, especially the fact that we conceded (a goal) in the first two minutes, which unsettled us. "We tried to chase the game but conceded the second goal. So the pressure was on us to salvage something out of the game. We came back in the second half with a little bit of organisation at the back and better ball retention," said Dhlakama.
Chicken Inn assistant coach Tostao Fungai Kwashi was relieved that they finally got the goals playing at home.
"It was coming. You could tell in the games we played here. We missed so many chances and created so many chances. So it was one of those days whereby if you keep on knocking you get the goals," Kwashi said.
"Long may that continue, we keep on working hard. We were not satisfied with 2-0, we can still do better. Yes we have won, but we need to remain calm because there are a lot of battles to be won."
Chicken Inn
B Donovan, B Muza ( O Malajila 90'), L Mangaira, I Mabunu, D Phiri, J Tulani, M Charamba (G Mutungamiri 87'), B Makopa, G Majika (I Muchaneka 73'), X Ndlovu, A Chinda
Green Fuel
N Madeya, B Chikwenya, R Uchena, M Diro, T Pfende, L Muyambo (Mtigo 76'), T Pfende (R Chinemo 55'), A Chivandire, M Gasela (C Dishwasher 55'), D Ngoma (W Mapuwa 66'), T Meke (T Mutyambuzi 76'), J Nguluve
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