BY FORTUNE MBELE in bulawayo
Chicken Inn… (0) 1
Harare City…. (2) 2
A 10-man Harare City carried their form from last week to pick up crucial away points when they edged Chicken Inn in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Luveve Stadium yesterday,
Striker Jerry Chipangura was shown the red card eight minutes into the second half for a second-bookable offence for time-wasting, having been cautioned deep in the first half for pushing and shoving with Chicken Inn defender Guide Goddard.
The Mark Harrison-coached side overpowered Hwange 3-0 at home last week with a hat-trick from Ishmael Wadi who put Harare City ahead yesterday in the 22nd minute, capitalising on a rebound from a Tatenda Tumba shot inside the penalty box. Kudakwashe Musharu got the second in the 35th minute with a header to the end of a free-kick by Takudzwa Chimwemwe.
Substitute Malvin Gaki then outstretched goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupangendengu on the hour-mark for Chicken Inn, who lost their third game of the season.
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Despite the defeat, Chicken Inn remained at the top of the log standings with 22 points after Caps United also fell to Herentals in Harare, while champions FC Platinum played a stalemate with Ngezi Platinum in Mhondoro.
Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas said it was a dismal performance from his boys, blaming it on complacency after the 3-1 victory over Caps United away from home last week.
“It was disastrous. We did not do well in the first half. All credit to Harare City, they were faster than us and we deserved to get punished,” Antipas said.
“We came back strong in the second half, but did not get anything from the game.
“We did not do the right things when they were a man down. We have to pick our heads up and look forward to the next game.”
Harare City gaffer Harrison was not happy with the sending-off of Chipangura, but said they had a good game, especially in the first half. “We were awesome in the first half and dominated Chicken Inn. The game was changed by that decision by the referee. It’s a big win for us as Chicken Inn are on top in the league,” Harrison said.
It was Harare City’s fifth win which took them to 16 points from 11 games and some steps up the ladder.
Chicken Inn made some changes in the second half, bringing in Gaki and Mucheneka for Simon Munawa and Valentine Kadonzvo and they were on top of their game, creating several scoring opportunities, but could not get the goals.
Antipas said he missed the services of suspended Tichaona Chipunza, who played a blinder in the win over Caps United.
Teams:
Chicken Inn: D Bernard, P Dube, X Ndlovu, M Jackson, G Goddard, S Ndlovu, V Kadonzvo (I Mucheneka 57’), S Munawa (M Gaki 57’), C Augusto, C Matawu, B Amidu.
Harare City: M Nyamupangendengu, M Machazane, C Mujuru, M Diro Nyenye, T Chimwemwe, J Chipangura (red card 53’), M Muchenje, T Tavengwa, K Musharu (M Vengesayi 69’), I Wadi (R Uchena 64’), T Tumba (T Rio 66’)
