Dembare fall to Chicken Inn

Dynamos 0 - 1  Chicken Inn
Dynamos caretaker coach Lloyd "Mablanyo" Chigowe lamented his team's defensive lapse after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Chicken Inn in a rescheduled Castle Lager Premiership match at Rufaro Stadium yesterday. The Glamour Boys conceded a 71st-minute free-kick by Gamecocks' captain Xolani Ndlovu, marking yet another late-game setback for DeMbare.

The loss came on the back of a 2-1 defeat to rivals CAPS United in last weekend's Harare Derby, continuing a worrying trend for Dynamos as they consistently concede goals in the final 20 minutes of matches, particularly from set-pieces.

"It was an evenly balanced match. Both sides played well, but Chicken Inn took their chance and got the three points," said Chigowe after the match. The Dynamos coach expressed frustration over his team's inability to defend against set-pieces, a problem that has cost them points in recent matches.

DeMbare's recent struggles with dead-ball situations began in Botswana during their CAF Confederation Cup loss to Orapa United, where a late free-kick sealed their fate. The same scenario unfolded last week against CAPS United, with Dynamos giving away a first-half lead and conceding a free-kick goal in the 86th minute. Yesterday, the trend continued as Ndlovu's low free-kick found a gap in the defensive wall, beating goalkeeper Prince Tafiremutsa.

"It's clear we defended poorly from that free-kick," Chigowe admitted. "It's unfortunate the goals are coming in different forms. One time it's headed goals, and this time it's a direct goal. We worked on this in training, but if the wall opens up, that's a basic error. We have to go back and make sure we don't continue conceding from set-pieces."

Despite the defeat, Dynamos remain ninth on the log standings with 38 points, while Chicken Inn moved up to sixth place with 42 points. Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas expressed satisfaction with the result, as his side pushes for a top-four finish.

"I thought it was a good win. We played a solid game, and we should have been two-nil up by halftime, but we missed some chances. The guys who came on in the second half did very well, and we're happy with the three points," said Antipas.

Dynamos had their moments early on, with Valentine Kadonzvo causing problems for Chicken Inn's defenders with his footwork. However, the Gamecocks created the first real chance of the match, forcing Tafiremutsa into action to block a header from Brian Muza. Chicken Inn also struck the woodwork late in the first half when Elshamar Farasi's header bounced off the upright.

Both teams had a quiet start to the second half, but Ndlovu's free-kick settled the match after substitute Genious Mutungamiri was fouled at the edge of the box. Tafiremutsa later made a fine save from Mutungamiri's long-distance effort, while Dynamos had a golden chance to equalize in the dying moments, only for substitute Elton Chikona to hit the crossbar with the final kick of the game.

The defeat leaves Dynamos searching for answers as they prepare for their next challenge, while Chicken Inn look ahead to their upcoming match against TelOne.