SCOTTLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)1
MANICA DIAMONDS . . . . . . . (0)0
DEBUTANTS Scottland FC surged to the top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League standings yesterday, thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Manica Diamonds at a buzzing Rufaro Stadium.
Captain Walter Musona emerged as the hero of the day, netting a spectacular thunderbolt from outside the box just three minutes into the game.
That early strike proved decisive, moving the flamboyant new boys to 56 points from 29 matches and seeing them leapfrog previous leaders Simba Bhora, who now sit second on 55 points and play their game in hand tomorrow away at inform Triangle.
The match began at a frantic pace, with Scottland dominating the first 45 minutes.
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Musona’s goal, a blistering effort that gave the goalkeeper no chance, immediately set the tone.
“It was a key moment that we really wanted,” said Scottland coach Tonderai Ndiraya after the match.
“And we got it from Walter today.”
The hosts, fielding a forward line stacked with five players currently in the national team, could—and arguably should—have gone into the break with a much bigger lead.
Knowledge Musona agonisingly missed a free-kick, and later saw his effort drift wide after a swift break.
Forwards Khama Billiat, Tymon Machope and Terence Dzvukamanja all spurned opportunities, leaving Ndiraya feeling his side had not fully completed the assignment he had given them.
“We wanted goals in the first half. The message really was, you are Zimbabwe, you are representing the country. So, go and show us the quality that you have,” Ndiraya explained, detailing the challenge he put to his national team stars.
“(We should have been) clinical, I thought Khama should have scored in the first half. Tymon Machope should probably have scored a hat-trick.
“Terence Dzvukamanja also had a chance.”
Manica Diamonds, who had a disastrous start, showed significant improvement in the second half as they fought desperately to ease their relegation worries.
“It was a very painful loss in a game. We thought we were going to ease our relegation worries,” lamented Manica Diamonds coach Tafadzwa Mashiri.
“I must say, it’s the poor start that cost us the match.
“We started very slowly, allowing opponents to take the pace and got the ball very early, maybe three minutes.”
As the game wore on, the visitors found their rhythm and carved out two major chances late in the game, forcing Scottland to rely on their defence and an inspired goalkeeper.
Keeper Nelson Chadya was pivotal, pulling off a couple of crucial saves, including a spectacular stop right near the end, to preserve the three points and the clean sheet.
Despite the late scare, the victory hands Scottland a crucial psychological advantage in the title race, although their tenure at the top could be short-lived should Simba Bhora register a win tomorrow. For Manica Diamonds, the painful loss means the fight to avoid the drop continues.