Motor Action . . . (1) 2 Dynamos . . . . . . . . . 0
For the third game in a row, Dynamos were on the losing end as they suffered yet another miserable day after going down to champions Motor Action in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Rufaro Stadium Sunday.
Midfielder Gift Phiri opened the scoring with a simple tap-in after 40 minutes before bustling striker Edmore Chitato drilled the final nail in the Dynamos coffin with a firm header in the 70th minute to give the Bulls their second win of the season.
Dynamos now have not scored for the third consecutive match after losing the season opener 0-1 to Kiglon and 0-3 to MC Alger in the Caf Orange Champions League.
Despite the third loss, coach Lloyd Mutasa still managed to put on a brave face and refused to blame his sterile strike force for their poor start.
“I would want to give the excuse of the strike force because as a coach at times you don’t always get want you want, but I think we don’t have any problems in the strike force. As a coach I feel that I have to do with what I have and I’m confident we will recover.
“We never really played our normal game. We played in batches and the youngsters didn’t handle the pressure well after we went one-nil down and ended up playing the way Motor Action play,” Mutasa said.
His opposite number Joey Antipas said he was impressed with the performance of his charges who he said played according to the game plan of closing down the Dynamos midfielders.
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“The guys put up a good show, we dominated the midfield battle and the counter-attacks were effective. We played with a four- man midfield whose task was to close down the spaces to dominate that midfield and in the end we won that battle and it’s now seven points for us in three games,” said Antipas.
Sunday’s win saw Motor Action move into second place on seven points ahead of FC Platinum, who have a game in hand, while Dynamos are now second from bottom with no points and goals in two matches.
Their holding midfielder Devon Chafa always seemed in a hurry to pass and needlessly lost possession most of the time while Tawanda Muparati was ineffective.
This left Masimba Mambare, Allan Gahadzikwa and Phiri to call the shots in the middle of the park, blocking the supply line of Archford Gutu, Muparati and Denver Mukamba.
By strangling the supply line this left lone striker Patrick Kumbula chasing shadows for the better part of the game and even the introduction of Rodrick Mutuma late in the second half did not change the complexion of the game.
Khumbula got the only clear chance on the half-hour mark when his close-range header from a David Kutyauripo cross was saved by goalkeeper Marlon Jani.
Dynamos would rue that chance when Mambare’s close-range shot from inside the box was parried by goalkeeper Washington Arubi into the path of Phiri who tapped into an empty net from close range.
Desperate for an equaliser, Dynamos fullbacks Kutyauripo and Thomas Magorimbo would occasionally overlap, leaving too much space for the Motor Action counter-attacks.
The Mighty Bulls increased their lead in one such counter-attack when Godfrey Moyo, who had kept Mukamba quiet throughout the match, took advantage of Magorimbo’s forays upfront.
His pinpoint cross after 70 minutes was met by the head of Chitato, who made no mistake from close range to complement his impressive performance throughout the game.
Teams Dynamos: W Arubi, D Chafa, A Gutu, P Kumbula, D Kutyauripo, G Magariro, T Magorimbo, D Mukamba, T Muparati (M Murape 69th min), F Vimisayi (M Vengesai 45th min), G Zhokinyi Motor Action: R Machaya, I Masame, K Musharu, M Mambare, O Mushure, G Moyo, M Jani, T Ndlovu, E Chitato, A Gahadzikwa, G Phiri
