How Mine, Chicken Inn draw

Sport
HOW MINE COACH Luke Masomere is still confident the gold miners will survive relegation after picking up a point against Chicken Inn at Hartsfield yesterday.

How Mine. . . (1) 1 Chicken Inn . . . (1) 1

FORTUNE MBELE

FC Platinum . . . (2) 2 Buffaloes . . . (1)1

HOW MINE COACH Luke Masomere is still confident the gold miners will survive relegation after picking up a point against Chicken Inn at Hartsfield yesterday.

A well-taken penalty by Menard Mupera in the 24th minute saved the day for How Mine as Chicken Inn had opened the floodgates as early as the 5th minute with a header by defender Lawrence Mhlanga.

How Mine remained on position 11 with 29 points while the GameCocks dropped one rung down the ladder to position seven as they were dislodged by FC Platinum who came from behind to beat visiting Buffaloes 2-1 at Mandava yesterday.

Chicken Inn are now on 34 points with six games remaining to put a lid on the 2014 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season. Masomere said the game was a balanced affair which could have gone either way.

“It was a balanced affair. We had our own chances and they had their own. I think the boys played very well. We are here to make sure we produce results in the next coming games and it’s encouraging that I am yet to lose in the league since joining How Mine.

“How Mine is not relegation material and I am building a team that will be playing in the Premier League next year,” Masomere said.

His counterpart Joey Antipas had this to say after the match: “It was a fair result but we should have walked away with the three points, but we can’t say no to a point. Our build-up play was very impressive but unfortunately we did not get the maximum points. What we hope for is a strong finish to the season and take the pressure off our backs,” Antipas said.

Mhlanga rose above the How Mine defence with a beautiful header past goalkeeper Donovan Bernard in the 5th minute before his goal was cancelled by Mupera with a spot kick after Heritein Masuku was hacked down inside the penalty box in a goalmouth scramble. Hwange referee Hardly Ndazi pointed to the spot and Mupera sent goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze the wrong way.

In Zvishavane, FC Platinum survived an early Buffaloes scare as they came from behind to win 2-1 at Mandava yesterday. The win took Norman Mapeza men’s points tally to 35, moving up the ladder to sixth position.

Buffaloes were the first to hit the target through veteran striker Kastigu Juwakinyu in the 17th minute.

The platinum miners then responded through Wisdom Mutasa in the 34th minute and it did not take Donald Ngoma two minutes to grab the winner in the 36th minute.

Meanwhile, the match between Chapungu and Chiredzi scheduled for Ascot stadium was abandoned yesterday after the visitors failed to produce licences.

The Chiredzi-based side arrived at the stadium 45 minutes after kickoff time.

They also failed to bring their playing kits and their coach Gishon Ntini was not part of the travelling entourage. Match Commissioner Japhet Mufiri confirmed that the match was cancelled.

“The match has been abandoned. “They arrived late at the stadium and they did not bring their licences and kits,” said Mufiri.

An unidentified person who was aboard the Chiredzi FC team bus confirmed that the licences and kits were in the same vehicle that was on its way to the stadium with coach Ntini.

The troubled Lowveld-based side is believed to have deliberately connived to abandon the match as a protest for unfair upkeep by management.

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