A GOAL in each half by How Mine ensured the gold miners continued to make inroads in the Premiership as handed Buffaloes their second loss in Bulawayo in seven days in an exciting football match at Luveve Stadium yesterday.]
Report by Fortune Mbele
How Mine . . . . . (1) 2 Buffaloes . . . . . . . . . 0
A beautifully struck first-time volley by Simon Njeleza on the stroke of half-time and an equally awesome blinder by Simbarashe Sithole in the 69th minute was all the gold miners needed to emerge victors.
How Mine have risen to the top four teams in the Premiership table dislodging the Mutare-based army side who were on position three and stretching to 17 points having only lost once at home and one game away in the first nine matches of the league.
However, head coach Philani Mabhena is unmoved.
“It is an important win for us, but as we have always said we are relegation candidates. We are now looking for the 20 points from the remaining matches to survive relegation. We are still fighting relegation.
“I am happy though with the progress that we are making and we are looking forward to playing Highlanders in their own backyard. It will be a piece of history for How Mine,” Mabhena said.
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It was disappointing for Buffaloes gaffer Saul Chaminuka giving away six points in Bulawayo within a week and conceding five goals and had no kind words for his charges. “We have come out empty-handed. It was a very bad performance from my boys and we have been conceding silly goals. A game is won by scoring goals.
“How Mine played very well; the game was balanced from the start, but my boys really need to wake up,” Chaminuka said.
January’s snap shot to the near post from a Sithole cross was punched away for a corner by goalkeeper Chengetai Tandadzai who had a busy afternoon.
In the 41st minute left-back Khumbulani Banda flighted a cross from the left and in attempt to shoot, Sithole collided with Tandadzai leaving the goalkeeper needing medical treatment.
The offensive finally paid off on the stroke of half-time as another corner kick by Menard Mupera was met with a first-time volley by Njeleza.
A gem of a goal then arrived from Sithole in the 69th minute after receiving a throw-in from Banda and shaking off a challenge from Buffaloes central defenders Philip Chandisaita and Themba Ndlovu before unleashing a thunderbolt that left Tandadzai a spectator.
