CAPS UNITED surrendered the lead twice to allow Tripple B to force a 2-2 draw in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at Mandava Stadium yesterday.
REPORT BY EPHRAIM SHOKO
Tripple B . . . . . . . (0) 2 Caps United . . . . . (1) 2
The result saw the Green Machine drop two crucial points to remain a distance from the leading pack with 16 points, while for Tripple B, who had been on a losing streak, it was a point gained rather than two lost.
Caps United scored through Ronald Pfumbidzai on the stroke of halftime and Tendai Samanja in the 60th minute while Tripple B equalised twice through Simon Maengeni and Timire Mamvura in the 51st and 70th minute respectively. Tripple B coach Peter Manoti, who took over from fired Friday Phiri, was pleased with his team’s performance saying the result has come as a morale booster for his side.
“It is a morale booster for us. Our confidence is now high. We came into the match with the idea of keeping possession and that worked for us as we kept Caps United on the backfoot,” he said.
Caps United coach Taurai Mangwiro believes his charges did fairly well despite surrendering the lead on two occasions.
“I think we did fairly well. I am a bit disappointed that we had to give up the lead twice. I think we were giving Tripple B too much room in midfield and that forced us to defend deep, leading to the two goals that we conceded,” he said.
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With Caps enjoying the lion’s share, it was, however, their own goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube who almost gifted the hosts with a goal when he failed to cut a Webster Chingodza cross from the left, which fell into Maxwell Mavhuto’s path, but the keeper was quick to recover and parry the ball away.
Pfumbidzai then beautifully curled the ball into the net directly from a corner kick to give Caps the lead before Mamvura worked his way past three Caps United defenders before releasing a low shot which Dube punched onto Maengeni’s path for an easy equaliser.
Caps surged ahead on the hour when Samanja was set up from the edge of the box, but the lead only lasted 10 minutes as Tripple B levelled terms in the 70th minute through Mamvura. Mamvura, who was impressive all afternoon, was set up by Maengeni from about 25 yards and released a powerful drive that Dube could do very little to save as it settled into the top corner of the net.
