HOW MINE . . . (1) 1 CHICKEN INN . . . (0) 2
A DRAMATIC end to yesterday’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Luveve Stadium kept Chicken Inn’s championship hopes alive when they came from behind to dismiss How Mine with two goals in the last three minutes.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
How Mine, playing better than Chicken Inn in the first half, opened the flood gates as early as the eighth minute. Thembani Masuku delivered a beautiful curler from outside the box from a set piece after the GameCocks’ George Majika had fouled Tapiwa Kumbuyani on the right.
The gold miners hung on to that goal and played defensively, with Gilbert Banda and Devon Chafa playing a double-anchor role and frustrating Chicken Inn in the centre.
But Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas brought in young Toto Banda in the 82nd minute and all hell broke loose for How Mine who thought they had bagged the three points.
The gold miners left-back Morris Kadzola was shown the red card by referee Nduna Nkosana for a second bookable offence after pulling down Toto in the 85th minute.
Kadzola had earned his first yellow card in the 74th for rough play.
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Chicken Inn defender Passmore Benard set up Edmore Chirambadare, who sent in a curler in the 87th minute for his 11th goal of the season.
The match looked headed for a draw, but the log leaders continued to pile pressure on How Mine.
The pressure finally paid off two minutes into optional time when an unmarked Toto scored with a flashing header from a Moses Jackson cross from the left, to send the Chicken Inn players, technical bench, supporters and officials into a frenzy.
The win ensured that Chicken Inn remained top of the log and still four points ahead of FC Platinum who dispatched struggling WhaWha 3-0 at Mandava on Saturday.
Antipas was relieved to get the late victory but said his boys deserved a pat on the back for their determination. “I knew we would come back. We struggled in the first half but took control in the second half and came back from the jaws of defeat. We have to show this kind of character if we are to win the championship. It is good to get back to our winning ways and we have to continue to the business end,” an overjoyed Antipas said after the match.
His counterpart Jeremiah Makota blamed the defeat on a lapse in concentration and the red card on Kadzola.
“We played very well. The boys lost concentration in the dying stages of the game. We were just unlucky,” Makota said.
How Mine remained on position nine with 32 points after the last gasp defeat.
