Tsholotsho in six-goal thriller

Mutare City 3 - 3 Tsholotsho
IT was two points dropped rather than a point gained for Mutare City Rovers as they surrendered a 3-0 lead to settle for a stalemate in a six-goal thriller played at Sakubva yesterday. With expectations from their fans sky high after that impressive win away at Barboufields against Highlanders on Thursday, all eyes were on coach Taku Shariwa and his men to prove that it was not a fluke.

Accordingly, the hosts were in total control of things from the onset and could have surged ahead with only six minutes into the match when impressive Rovers top man Agrippa Murimba got to the end of a counter attack, controlled the ball well in the box before blasting his effort over the cross bar.

Rovers then benefited immensely from the 18th minute injury-induced substitution that brought in jittery goalkeeper Nickel Marichi for Chang Marioni between the sticks for Tsholotsho. The hosts got it right in the 20th minute when Kudakwashe Gurure placed the ball home from close range after a neat exchange of passes between Gurure and Bright Majamanda from the middle of the park.

Murimba doubled the lead for the home team with a beauty just two minutes before the break after the former Harare City player dribbled past Thandolwenkosi Ncube and beat the hapless Marichi.

Rovers appeared to be on the path to an emphatic triumph after veteran midfielder Wonder Sithole drilled home a blistering 25-metre drive that left Marichi well beaten. However, the complexion of the game suddenly changed soon after Sithole, the man who was doing all the donkey work for Rovers in midfield, was substituted.

Tsholotsho started dominating play and their prayers were answered in the 74th minute when Clive Phiri pulled one back for the visiting outfit. Nicholas Mundandishe rose from the bench to punish the team that rejected him by scoring a brace for Tsholotsho to level terms for the relegation-threatened club.

Mundandishe first found the target with a stunning header that beat Victor Twaliki in the 88th minute before shoving the ball home from close range past a sprawling Twaliki for the equaliser.

Taku Shariwa defended his substitutions. "It is sad that we had to surrender the lead but that is what happens in a game of football. We conceded soft goals and it's sad that it had to end this way. "I had no choice, we just had to make the substitutions because the players we withdrew were showing clear signs of fatigue.

"If you look at it all the players that we substituted are not 90-minutes players," said Shariwa. Tsholotsho coach, Lizwe Sweswe, said the change of tactics paid off for his team. "I think we made the right changes to our attacking formation and they just did not realise that. It paid well for us.

"I kept telling my players that even in 15 minutes we can score four goals and it worked well for us," he said.

Teams
Mutare City Rovers: V. Twaliki; M. Taptatapa; R Madamombe; B. Majamanda; W. Mpfumo; M. Sako; C. Chandongonda; W. Sithole (H. Makukutu 67th minute); K. Gurure (80th min); S. Muchabaya; A. Murimba (C. Masocha 73rd min):

Tsholotsho: C. Mariyoni (N. Marichi 18th min); C. Phiri; N. Moyo; T. Ncube; S. Dube; N. Gama (N. Mundandishe, 56th min); R. Mufudza (D. Chirwa 60th min); Z. Moyo; B. Madanhire; C. Dhuwa; B. Sibanda;