Gweru — TelOne FC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)1
FC Platinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)1
Telone came from behind to earn a valuable point in a one-all draw against log leaders FC Platinum, in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Bata stadium in Gweru yesterday.
TelOne FC midfielder Leo Hofisi gave FC Platinum an early lead when he beat his goalkeeper in attempting to clear his lines five minutes into the match.
The WiFi boys restored parity five minutes before the final whistle with a well-taken penalty from Malvern Kwinjo.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza said that the point gained was precious in the long run.
"One all, it's a good point, very good point. We move on to the next match. We play Chegutu Pirates," said Mapeza.
"It was a good result we got under difficult circumstances, the boys did well."
His opposite number, Hebert Maruwa, was happy with a point gained.
"It was a good show from the boys, coming back after conceding an early goal, our game plan worked well. We managed to come back and get a point. We could have won it in the final minutes," he said.
Once the Zvishavane side took the lead, they resorted to controlling the match in and outside of possession.
The highlight of the first half was when Telone coach Hebert Maruwa ordered his players off the pitch in protest over assistant referee Edgar Rumeki's decision to flag a foul on an FC Platinum player, thereby halting an attack by the hosts.
This caused a furore and harsh exchange of words between Rumeki and Maruwa but luckily centre referee Thabani Bamala stepped in to quell the situation.
In the second half, TelOne were the more industrious side as they peppered the log leaders' goal area in search of an equaliser.
Frankson Bushiri was denied by an alert David Bizabani, when he tried from a distance midway in the second half.
Substitute Fradreck Muza came close with a free kick from the edge of the box but once again Bizabani dived to repel the effort.
TelOne's relentless attacking paid dividends seven minutes before the final whistle, when they won a penalty after a handling offence.
The decision to award the penalty was hotly disputed by the FC Platinum technical department. However, after the dust settled Malvern Kwinjo restored parity for the hosts.
TelOne almost completed the turnaround deep in stoppage time, only for substitute Lloyd Gwerina's header to crash against the upright.
Meanwhile, Innocent Muchochomi in Mhondoro reports that Gift Mwinga's late goal helped Chegutu Pirates secure a win against Arenel Movers in a close contest between the Premiership new boys at Baobab yesterday.
The midfielder scored in the dying moments, as the match appeared to be heading for a draw.
Pirates, who were the home team, could have taken the lead midway through the first half, but Jimu Gwara's clever shot hit the upright post.
In the second half, they also created several scoring chances but substitutes Tinotenda Ditima and Russell Chifura were the main culprits as they failed to convert from good positions.
In a post-match interview, Pirates assistant coach Godfrey Tamirepi attributed their low conversion rate to inexperience.
"We started well and could have scored goals, but our lack of experience prevented us from converting the numerous chances we had," he said.
Arenel coach Farai Tawachera blamed poor officiating for their defeat in the PSL bottom-of-the-table match.
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"I haven't commented on refereeing before, but what I witnessed today forced me to," he said.
"With this type of officiating, our football as a nation is heading nowhere."
On the other hand, Chegutu Pirates, who have been in the eye of the storm following the hooligan tendencies displayed by their supporters in their debut season in topflight football, got the match proceedings underway by embarking on an anti-violence campaign.
Pirates marshals walked around the ground holding placards and banners denouncing violence, pitch invasion, and all other forms of hooliganism.
They also emphasised that they respect referees' decisions. Pirates ended the first half of the season third from the bottom with 16 points from 17 starts while Arenel Movers sit in the basement.
The Bulawayo-based side have 11 points to their name at the end of the first round matches, with only a single win to show for their toils.
