Shabanie Mine . . . . . . (2) 2 Triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 0 SHABANIE MINE enhanced their chances of finishing in the top eight after dismissing Triangle 2-0 in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at Maglas Stadium yesterday.
A brace by Pervington Zimunya in the 20th and 40th minutes saw the Chinda Boys take their points tally to 40 and move one place up into eighth position on the log.
Shabanie Mine coach Luke Masomere praised his charges for a good show which saw his side collect four points in two matches.
“It was a very good result and I am happy to have collected maximum points. We played very well regardless of injuries that dogged us ahead of the match,” he said.
Gishon Ntini the Triangle coach conceded defeat.
“We played very well but Shabanie Mine were better in front of goal. Most of my regular players did not feature today and I think that to some extent affected our game,” he said.
The two teams struggled with their game, resulting in the match turning into a ping pong, which however suited Shabanie Mine, who usually rely on pumping long balls forward.
Rightfully so the home side found themselves in lead 20 minutes into the match when Zimunya got to the end of a Frank Bushiri cross from the left and beat Ashley Reyners in goals for Triangle with a first time short from inside the box.
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Zimunya returned to haunt Reyners 20 minutes later when he converted from the penalty sport after the Triangle goal keeper had brought him down inside the box in a one on one situation.
Triangle, who struggled for rhythm, allowing Shabanie to settle, hardly created any meaningful chances in the first half.
The Sugar Sugar boys returned a different side after the breather, perhaps after some lashing from Ntini and almost pulled one back in the 46th minute, but Misheck Mburayi’s short from outside the box was parried out for a corner by Victor Twaliki in goals for Shabanie Mine.
Zimunya could have grabbed himself a hatrick in the 56th minute, but Reyners denied him with a point blank save.
The Shabanie Mine midfielder who was lurking unmarked inside the box, got the end of a Valentine Ndaba cross, but watched in agony as Reyners blocked his fine header from close range.
Ntini pulled out William Gondo for Richard Kawondera in 57th minute as he tried to bring in fresh legs and maybe reduce the deficit.
Four minutes later Ntini made another change bringing in Blessing Maziwisa for Charles Makoto, but yet again the move didn’t yield results as his side continued to struggle.
Triangle could have grabbed a consolation in the 87th minute but Twaliki denied substitutes Maziwisa and Kawondera with a double save from close range.
Maziwisa latched on to a Lameck Nhamo pass and released a shot from close range which Twaliki did well to block, Kawondera tried a rebound, but found Twaliki in his way who again pulled another fine save.
Triangle were missing eight of their regular players through injuries and suspension and had only Norman Togara and Mburayi as the two regulars.
