CHICKEN INN . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)1
MANICA DIAMONDS . . . . . (0)0
CHICKEN INN continued their good form at home after edging Manica Diamonds in exciting match played at Luveve Stadium yesterday afternoon.
The Gamecocks won their third home match on the trot courtesy of an own goal by Manica Diamonds defender Lawrence Mabhera.
In sharp contrast, Jairos Tapera's men have gone for eight straight matches without a win.
Their last win came on May 26 when they beat Hwange 1-0 at Sakubva Stadium.
Chicken Inn dominated the first half, in which George Majika shone like a beacon. His industry could have resulted in the Gamecocks going to the break leading by a wider margin but their finishing let them down.
In the best chance of the day, he sent an inviting cross into the box after 12 minutes, but Joseph Tulani headed over the bar when it appeared easier to score than to miss.
It wasn't long before the Gamecocks took the lead. A well worked free kick engineered by Majika, set through Arthur Chinda, who sent a dangerous cross into the penalty area and Masibhera had no option but slide it home past his goalkeeper Geoffrey Chitsumba.
Manica Diamonds struggled to tick and they had to withdraw the ineffective Kudakwashe Mahachi for Kelvin Gwao. However, the change did little to change the complexion of the game.
At the start of the second half, Manica made three changes, hoping to add impetus to their attack. Even though they had more numbers in attack they struggled to break down the Chicken Inn defence.
Majika continued in the second half to torment Manica and his corner kick was headed wide by Brian Muza in the 48 th minute with Chitsumba beaten.
The closest Manica got to getting the equaliser was in the 62nd minute when a corner kick by Anelka Chivandire was headed towards goal by Farai Banda but Bernard Donovan easily gathered.
They tried once again to combine from a free kick in the 77th minute, but once again they failed to breach Donovan as Banda's header 1
Masibhera should have atoned for his own goal two minutes later, but shot agonisingly over the bar with acres of space inside the box. The result meant that Manica Diamonds have gone for five matches without scoring.
Tapera was naturally disappointed with the result and blamed poor start to the match as the reason behind the defeat.
"It's a painful result. We started badly the first 10 to 20 minutes when we allowed that, I can say, silly free kick taken down the line. Someone was there, failed just to track and they finished off. But that's football. They had that chance and got it home. I think in the second half we came back an organised lot. We did everything that we thought will get us an equaliser. We have to go back and study it all over again," said Tapera.
Joey Antipas praised Chinda for the good cross that led to the goal.
"It was a good cross from Kumbi (Chinda) because he put it into no mans land. Those types of crosses, if you get a touch to it (or) if you don't connect it right, it will fly to your own goal. So those (crosses) spark the game. "We take the three points," said Antipas.
Teams
Chicken Inn
B Donovan, D Phiri, M Bhebhe, A Nyamutsaka (B Makopa 69), B Muza (E Farasi 81), G Majika (G Mutungamiri 65), B Rendo , J Tulani, A Chinda, X Ndlovu, I Mabunu
Manica Diamonds
G Chitsumba, L Masibhera, T Jubane, F Banda, L Chakoroma, B Amidu, K Dhemera (C Teguru 46), K Mahachi (K Gwao 33) , P Mtase (M Tapera 46), T Macheka (E Katema 56), F Binzi (A Chivandire 46).