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FC Platinum win

Sport
FC PLATINUM laboured to a hard-fought narrow victory against a battling Hwange in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Maglas yesterday.

FC Platinum . . . . . . . (0) (1) Hwange . . . . . . . . . . .. (0)

FC PLATINUM laboured to a hard-fought narrow victory against a battling Hwange in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Maglas yesterday.

BY MUKUDZEI CHINGWERE

The platinum miners struggled in the final third and required Winston Mhango’s penalty conversion to settle the tie.

FC Platinum came into the match in need of maximum points to assert their title credentials and remain within sight of the leading pack.

Coach Norman Mapeza looked to have killed the confidence of game time-starved Brett Amidu when he introduced him as a second half substitute before withdrawing him in the dying stages of the match.

Despite the victory, Mapeza was not happy with his team’s performance.

“We are creating chances, but again we are failing to convert the chances. We are still okay in terms of our position on the log.

“When we introduced Brett (Amidu) we wanted to score, but after we got the goal we wanted, we brought in Gerald (Takwara). The player understood it, it is not about an individual, but the team,” he said.

Hwange coach, Nation Dube blamed the officiating for the loss.

“We did not lose to FC Platinum — we lost to the referee,” he fumed.

“Otherwise we played very well, the guys played according to instructions and I think a fair result was a draw,” Dube said.

The visitors settled in first half, but the match was devoid of clearcut goal-scoring opportunities until the late stages of the first half.

Hwange’s Nomore Chinyerere tested Petros Mhari with a well-taken free-kick, which produced the best from the latter.

Talent Chawapihwa surged ahead moments later leading a breathtaking counterattack before releasing striker Agrippa Murimba, but the latter wasted the chance when his effort flashed across the face of goal.

Taimon Mvula, in goal for Hwange, was almost caught off guard by a Raphael Mudhuviwa cross before he recovered to push the ball out for a corner.

Rodwell Chinyengetere could have scored for the host moments after the breather, but he failed to direct Mudhuviwa’s cross into the net with Mvula having already committed.

The platinum miners were awarded a penalty 10 minutes before full-time when a moment of madness saw Andrew Chuma foul Gift Mbweti, who was not even a threat.

Mhango stepped up firing into the top left corner with a well taken spot-kick to give the host the lead.

Teams:

FC Platinum: P Mhari, E Moyo, W Sitima, I Nekati, W Mhango, S Shoko, R Chinyengetere, T Chawapihwa (H Bakacheza 90+1), A Murimba (B Amidu 67 (G Takwara 90), G Mbweti

Hwange: T Mvula, A Banda, N Chinyerere (W Munorwei 90), H Kaunda, G Ndlovu, C Phiri, A Chuma, J Kaunda (C Muleya 57), S Gadzikwa, G Zulu, M Mpofu