HIGHLANDERS. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .(1) 1
FC PLATINUM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
A TIGHTLY-CONTESTED encounter is what perhaps sums up the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash between Highlanders and FC Platinum at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Bosso gaffer Kelvin Kaindu, although at pains to accept the result after they conceded a "soft goal", admitted it was a tough encounter.
"It was a good game. It could have gone either way. I still feel these two points were dropped. Unfortunately, we made a mistake in the way we defended and they capitalised, but we still looked good and with a bit of luck, we could have scored. I don't know how many chances we created. What's missing is the ability to convert,” Kaindu said.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza reflected on the challenges his team faced during the match.
“Highlanders overloaded the right side, and they gave us a difficult time in the first half. We made some changes in the second half and we were better. But that's football,” he said.
FC Platinum kicked off the game, passing the ball around, as they tried to penetrate the Bosso defence. The moment Highlanders found their groove, they proved too hot to handle for the platinum miners.
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It was no surprise when Mason Mushore fired the Bulawayo giants into the lead after a neat build-up engineered by the in-form Reason Sibanda. He picked Never Rauzhi, who laid it onto the path of Mushore, whose thumping strike from a tight angle hit the roof of the net.
Rauzhi could have made it two, but his effort was brilliantly saved by David Bizabani in goals for FC Platinum after Melikhaya Ncube had laid a sitter for him following a well-worked corner kick by Highlanders.
Against the run of play, FC Platinum equalised after Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya got the better of Lucky Mutumbi and, with the Bosso defence anticipating that the referee, Thembinkosi Sibanda, would blow for a foul, play continued and he teed it up for the former Bosso midfielder Devine Mhindirira to easily tap in, silencing his former paymasters.
Sibanda then had two golden opportunities to restore Bosso's lead after a pass from Rauzhi in the 25th minute, but failed to stretch himself to the square pass. Moments later, he was set through, but his attempt to scoop it over Bizabani was thwarted.
In the second half, Oscar Bhebhe almost gave FC Platinum the lead from a Jarrison Selemani pass, but his effort was parried by Muza weakly, and it almost rolled into the net, but missed the target by a whisker. Arthur Ndlovu injured himself in a bid to clear in the 47th minute.
Nqobile Ndlovu should have won it at the death for Bosso after a Mushore pass, but he sent it straight to the goalkeeper as the two teams settled for a point.
Highlanders: R Muza, T Dube, A Ndlovu, M Mushore M Ncube, R Sibanda, M Hativagoni, B Ncube, Ma Mushore, N Rauzhi, L Mutumbi
FC Platinum: D Bizabani, T Ndlovu, N Nyasulu, T Jubani, M Ndlovu, D Mhindirira, B Banda, H Magaya, T Ngwenya, J Selemani, O Bhebhe
