Dynamos……………….(1) 3 Highlanders…………..(1) 1
Dynamos closed the gap on Castle Lager Premier Soccer League leaders FC Platinum to just one point after overpowering Highlanders with a strong second half performance at a full capacity Rufaro Stadium on Sunday.
There was chaos outside the stadium before the match after scores of people, including journalists, were trapped out following a misunderstanding with Dynamos marshals who had locked the gate that is used by scribes and other privelege card-carrying members.
There was clear lack of organisation by the hosts who also opened few entrance gates which forced supporters to cram at the few open ones and the situation threatened to go out of hand when the match started as people pushed harder to get in.
One of the gates adjacent to Mupedzanhamo flea market finally gave in and collapsed and a sizeable number gained free entrance before anti-riot police took control.
A few people got injured in that melee. Away from the fracas, Highlanders’ Eric Mudzingwa blasted home when most fans had not even settled in their seats with the midfielder benefiting from a rebound after goalkeeper Washington Arubi had spilled off a Simon Munawa shot with only two minutes on the clock.
Dynamos found the equaliser midway through the first half when Mutuma latched on to a Cuthbert Malajila cross to bury the chance home.
The ginger-haired striker, who missed a handful of chances, put Dynamos ahead in the 68th minute when he got to the end of Mukamba’s long ball to turn inside right-back Bruce Tshuma before toe-poking past the impressive Lovemore Makwavarara in goal for Highlanders.
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Substitute Martin Vengesayi who came in for Murape Murape in 60th minute, made sure Dynamos collected all the three points when he raced past defenders on a counter to hit the roof of the net.
The win took Dynamos to 48 points, just one shy of FC Platinum who were beaten 2-1 by Moses Chunga’s Gunners at Lafarge on Saturday.
On the other hand, Highlanders dropped one rung down to sixth position with 39 points Dynamos assistant coach Tonderai Ndiraya said the race was still on.
“We want to take each game as it comes. We still have four tight games coming up especially against Hwange and FC Platinum. “Hopefully, we will collect maximum points, that is our aim. Most of all, we don’t want to focus on how other teams perform, waiting for them to do the job for us, we will have to do the job ourselves,” said Ndiraya.
Bosso coach Mkhuphali Masuku, who came into the match with swords hovering above his head, said: “I think the game was fair when we were one-all but we didn’t defend well in the second half and we were punished.
“It’s part of the game, we have to pull ourselves up and try by all means to win our remaining matches,” said Masuku.
On his future at Bosso, Masuku said: “I have to be worried over things I have control over, but some things I cannot.”
Highlanders were the better side in the first half as they bossed the midfield with some basic one touch football, but collapsed in the second half, especially after the ill-advised substitution of the experienced Bekithemba Ndlovu who was orchestrating most of his team’s moves.
