Monomotapa . . . . . . . 0 Hwange . . . . . . . . . (2) 3
HENRY MHARA
MONOMOTAPA have to address their defensive frailties after they were walloped by an efficient Hwange side at Rufaro Stadium in Harare in a match the 2009 league champions dominated and should have won.
Hwange midfielder Farai Vimisayi started the rout with a well-placed shot on 41 minutes and Richard Jongwe scored the second on the stroke of half-time with a first-time shot before Gilbert Zulu completed the smash-and-grab exercise with a headed goal four minutes from time.
It was Hwange’s fifth win in 19 matches this term and while the convincing victory will obviously boost the team’s morale going forward, it didn’t do much in terms of their movement on the log table. The Colliery-based side remain seated on 13th position — the relegation cut-off point — with 21 points.
Monomotapa are not far off the dreaded zone as they are just a point above Hwange and if things do not go their way at the end of the season, yesterday’s match is one they will look back and lament.
“We knew that Monomotapa are very good when in possession. So the plan was to let them play while we sit back and try to catch them on the break. This was a good match for us and these three points will get us somewhere. We have not been winning for a long time, but finally the football gods have smiled on us,” said Hwange assistant coach Chenjerai Dube on his post match analysis.
Monoz coach Biggie Zuze blamed his side for wasting chances. “We played some good football in the first half and in the first 30 minutes we created three clear-cut chances, but in football if you cannot take your chances you are bound to lose the match.
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Credit to Hwange, they came back strongly in the second half and they deserved to win the game. It’s a wake-up call for us. We need to work very hard if we are to finish in the top-five,” Monomotapa coach Biggie Zuze said.
Hwange got their goals, but on the balance of play, it was Monomotapa who were dominant and deserved to win. The home side were superior from the onset with their exciting short passing game and had twice threatened the Hwange goal inside the opening 10 minutes.
A quick interchange of the ball inside the box between the Monoz players released Allen Tavarwisa who fired straight at the outdrawn goalkeeper Takabva Mawaya on seven minutes.
Two minutes later, the slick Monoz forwards had breached the Hwange defence once again and the former Dynamos striker Tavariswa got a clear sight of goal, but he aimed his shot at the upright post.
Hwange had withered the early storm and were beginning to make their own inroads into the Monoz box with Jongwe making two attempts from close range in successive minutes after the half-hour mark.
