PLatinum edge closer to tittle

Platinum edge closer to title
By Givemore Nyakuba
Fc Platinum       (0)     (2)
Harare City         (0)    (0)
Fc Platinum kept their hopes of clinching the league title for the first time in history alive after dismissing Harare city 2nil at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.
The win by Fc Platinum saw them cutting the point’s deficit to two after the log leaders had played a nil all draw with Wha Wha earlier during the day.
Harare city had themselves to blame for the loss after they failed to take the chances that came their way in the first half as they were the ones who had better chances of winning the game  in the first half however their strikers let them down on numerous occasions.
Right from the first whistle Harare city made their presents known through numerous attacks on the Fc Platinum defence but however they could not be penetrated.
Fc platinum could have taken the lead in the 5th minute when Emmanuel Mandiranga blasted his effort over the bar after a he was setup by Gerald Takwara andin the 27th minute he missed the target with inches when he received the ball from an Elvis Moyo corner kick.
In the 40th minute the platinum miners came close to take the lead when Obrey Chirwa was fouled on the edge of the box but however Tatenda Dzumbunu who took responsibility on the freekick blasted his effort over the bar and the teams went into the break still goalless.
The second half resumed with the Platinum miners more determined to collect all the maximum points.
Nigel Papius replaced Mandivanga in the 49th minute and in the 55th minute he handed the team the much needed goal when he beat Tafadzwa Dube all sytems out who was in goals for the sunshine boys, He received a pass from the right when Tatenda Mudehwe spotted his run and he made no mistake by unleashed a shot that was unstoppable into the right corner of Dube’s post.
The sunshine boys head coach was forced to have an injury inspired substitution when he pulled out Francisco Zvekumbavire for Osborne Mukumbadare.
Tatenda Mudehwe put the final nail on the coffin in the 66th minute when he was released by Obrey Chirwa and he dribbled past Anold Chiveya before he pulled a powerful shot which found its way past the veteran goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube.
However a minute later Tatenda Chawapihwa could have pulled one back for the visitors when his effort from the free kick just outside the box missed the target by inches.
The last 20minutes of the second half saw the kugona kunenge kudada boys dominating the play.
Harare city head coach Taurai Mangwiro had his defenders and strikers to blame as they give away to soft goals and failed to take away chances that came their way in the first half respectively.
“it was a game in which l think we could have salvaged something we were our worst enemies where we needed to stick to the basics of defending we committed an elementary mistake and that’s the punishment, the second goal was a giveaway goal Tafadzwa should have had his near post covered such is football if a goalkeeper makes a mistake there is no one to cover up for him, we will see what happens in the remaining 3 games” said Mangwiro.
His opposite number Norman Mapeza said it was a huge win for them saying the poor display in the first half was due to the fact that the players had hear the result of the chicken inn Wha Wha game which was played earlier before their game.
“It is a massive result for us, we still have 9points to play for and we have to win the remaining games and see what happens at the end of the season, we didn’t do well in the first half pressure was mounting after the guys heard the result of the chicken inn Wha Wha game but l talked to them at half time that’s why they came back relaxed in the second half and playing their usual game” said Mapeza.
The result means that the championship race is still wide open between Fc Platinum and Chicken in as they are now separated with only 2points with three games to the end of the season.