Blue Ribbon . . . . . . . . 0 Motor Action . . . . . .. . (1) 1
Blue Ribbon suffered their second defeat of the season after falling to visitors and defending champions Motor Action in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Impressive Kuda Musharu ghosted from the blind side with seven minutes on the clock to bury Ocean Mushure’s cross from the right.
The loss was the second for Blue Ribbon inside two weeks as they lost 1-0 to Zimbabwe Saints in their last game.
The “Tambawakaguta Boys” had to finish the match with 10 men after the 33rd-minute expulsion of Takesure Chiragwi by referee Jacob Kuuya for a second bookable offence.
Bulls coach Joey Antipas paid tribute to his charges, but said they could have won by a bigger margin had their strikers been potent in front of goal. “It is good that we collected maximum points. We could have won by a wider margin had we taken our chances and used our numerical advantage,” he said.
His opposite number Misheck Chidzambwa blamed Chiragwi’s send-off as the turning point of the game.
“That was a very unnecessary card and it proved costly to us. Players should be careful next time. However, we have to pick ourselves up and focus on the next game,” he said.
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Blue Ribbon started the match being the more offensive with some good build-ups involving James James and Irvine Tinarwo, but found the Mighty Bulls’ defence unyielding.
However, they were to fall in the seventh minute in a counter-attack that saw Edmore Chitato finding Mushure on the left side of the field.
Mushure left two defenders sprawling on the ground before swinging in a cross which saw Musharu ghosting in from the blind side to beat Nelson Moses in goal for Blue Ribbon.
After that goal the pendulum swung Motor Action’s way as the home side started losing concentration, clearly showing signs of panic.
Musharu could have doubled the scoreline in the 11th minute, but was unlucky to see his effort from close range hit the woodwork with Moses a beaten man.
As the match wore on, signs of frustration began to show in the Blue Ribbon camp and it came as no surprise when Chiragwi received his marching orders.
The team never recovered from that incident as Motor Action held on to the slender lead.
However, Tapiwa Kumbuyani could have snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat for Blue Ribbon in one of their rare attacks with a minute to go but his piledriver from the edge of box found goalkeeper Marlon Jani at his best.
Teams
Blue Ribbon: N Moses, C Borowa, C Dickson, T Kumbuyani, C Kamhapa, J James, D Kamunhenga (V Mukudo 57th minute), F Kaswatuka (M Mabhacho 82nd minute), I Tinarwo, T Chiragwi (red card 33rdmin), E Mwinga
Motor Action : M Jani, R Machaya, I Masame, K Musharu, O Mushure, E Tembo, T Ndlovu,A Muripa (E Perezo 60th min), E Chitato (T Nyamandwe 82nd minute), G Phiri (M Ncube 86th minute), G Moyo
