Caps United. . . . . . . . . . . . (2) 3 How Mine. . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 2
FIVE matches to go and still we are nowhere near discovering who will win the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title.
BY KEVIN MAPASURE
The soap opera ran another episode yesterday at the National Sports Stadium where Caps United clashed with How Mine and at Barbourfields Stadium where Highlanders played Ngezi Platinum.
The story at the National Sports Stadium was as fascinating to neutrals as it was nerve-wracking to the Caps United fans who wanted to see their team cross the line and keep up the pressure on FC Platinum.
As it stands the Green Machine are still a point away from FC Platinum and three ahead of Highlanders, but their win yesterday, when it arrived, brought with it so much relief.
Dominic Chungwa planted a header into the nets with almost the last kick of the afternoon, with How Mine having recovered from two goals down at half time to level matters through goals from Godfrey Nguwodzawo and Milton Ncube following a penalty on 90 minutes.
It was a nerve-wracking second half for Caps and the supporters can be rest assured there will be more of this as the run-in unfolds.
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But for Caps it should not have been like that for them in the second half having dominated the first one so much that four goals in that period would not have flattered them.
For all their dominance they went to the break with a two-nil lead courtesy of goals by defender Dennis Dauda and striker Leonard Tsipa. They could have killed the match as a contest in the first half having so much of the ball with How Mine players looking lethargic and playing at a pedestrian pace.
The Green Machine were always going to be dangerous at set pieces with Ronald Pfumbidzai ‘s lethal left foot.
And so it proved when he fizzed in a corner kick after 25 minutes, which was met by Dauda at the back post for the opening goal. Prior to that Caps had been probing, but with that goal, they earned themselves more confidence with good inter-change of passes, but the final pass always let them down.
Caps used the left channel to good effect, where Pfumbidzai combined well with Phineas Bhamusi and five minutes after the goal the former sent in another beautiful cross, which Leonard Tsipa’s toe poked towards goal, but saw his effort diverted out for a corner kick.
Kelvin Kaindu then shuffled his pack sacrificing Tinashe Makanda for Nguwodzawo after 31 minutes, but five minutes later Caps United doubled their lead.
Again it was from a corner kick, where How Mine were caught at the back post with Tsipa nodding in from close range.
The first half was a one direction flow of traffic, but not the second.
After the break How Mine returned a different side pinning Caps inside their own half even though the home side looked dangerous on the counter.
The Green Machine goalkeeper was called into action to palm a Too Banda shot which rebounded off the cross bar for a corner on 69 minutes. It was from the resultant corner that Nguwodzawo blasted shot past Muchambo from close range.
Suddenly nerves were creeping in for Caps, but they created chances at the other end.
On 90 minutes Dauda conceded a penalty when he brought down Banda and Ncube coolly converted.
Yet, there was still more drama to come with How Mine goalkeeper Bernard Donovan tipping over a sweetly struck shot by Devon Chafa for a corner. Pfumbidzai took responsibility and he sent in another beauty, which met the head of Chungwa who scored to trigger jubilation in the Caps camp.
Caps coach Lloyd Chitembwe struggled to contain his delight after the final whistle after seeing his side rescue an important couple of points.
“It was very vital for us to collect three points so that we keep pressure on the leaders, naturally we are happy with the result,” he said. “It was a game of two halves the first was perfect for us but the second was not as good. All the same we are delighted with the win and I am pleased with the way the players applied themselves and the character they showed.”
Kaindu was disappointed with the way his side defended.
“Conceding three goals from set pieces is not good on our part and also conceding in added time was quite disappointing for me.”
