Highlanders . . . . . . . . (2) 5 Hardbody . . . . . . . . . .(1) 3
Highlanders collected maximum points from stubborn debutants Hardbody in an eight-goal Castle Lager Premiership humdinger at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Bossos last year top goal scorer Graham Ncube grabbed a brace with substitutes former Motor Action attacking midfielder Masimba Mambare and ex-Chicken Inn midfielder Heritani Masuku notching a goal each in their debut for the Bulawayo football giants.
Simon Munawa scored the other goal as Bosso surged past a determined Hardbody, who gave them a hard time for the better part of the game scoring through Aleck Marime, Michael Mageja and Irvine Mugwamba.
The win moves Highlanders to six points from two matches, one behind Monomotapa, Chicken Inn and leaders Shabanie Mine.
Highlanders head coach Kelvin Kaindu said they let in soft goals and believes he still has a lot to work out.
What is important today is that we collected the maximum points but we conceded very easy goals and I think we still have a lot of homework to do, Kaindu said.
Tavaka Gumbo, the Hardbody gaffer, said: It was an interesting game. We managed to come back from behind on a number of occasions after scoring first. I think we are getting there. We will find the rhythm.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Its only that I had to fire some of my players, thats why I had only three substitutes on the bench. A determined Hardbody drew first blood in the 10th minute following a schoolboy blunder by Bosso goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda, who failed to clear a Clifford Nyoni through-pass under pressure from Marime, who did not hesitate to push the ball into the nets.
A well-calculated move from the Highlanders defence by captain Innocent Mapuranga saw an exchange of passes between Munawa and Milton Ncube.
Munawas cross eluded Hardbody left-back Cornelius Simango and Graham connected first time to beat the Midlanders goalkeeper Tapiwa Marime from inside the box.
The match almost degenerated into a dreary affair until a flurry of exchanges on the left flank that involved Honest Moyo, Peter Rio Moyo and Milton, whose cross found Munawa who fired a cracker past Tapiwa, three minutes before the half-time whistle.
As the teams came in from the breather, with Highlanders seemingly poised for attack, left winger Bhekimpilo Ncube fluffed on a move and unintentionally released the ball to Marime.
Marime spotted Mageja, who fired past Sibanda to put the teams level at 2-2 in the 50th minute. Substitute Masuku, who came for Bhekimpilo in the 53rd minute, put Highlanders in front once again after Munawa deftly dribbled past Andrew Chuma on the right and sent in a cross which Masuku connected first time to beat Tapiwa.
