SOCCER: Sweet, sweet Triangle, at NetOne Wallet Cup

31 Aug, 2014 - 06:08 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Ishemunyoro Chingwere in Zvishavane

Triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Chicken Inn . . . . . . . . . . . .0
(Triangle progress 5:3 on penalties)

TRIANGLE are through to the NetOne Wallet Cup final after dismissing Chicken Inn, through a penalty shootout, at Mandava yesterday.

The sugar millers converted all their five penalties, with goalkeeper Ronald Mudimu, Tineyi Chitora, Praise Tonha, Tichaona Chipunza and Melson Nelson scoring.

For Chicken Inn defender Brian Mbiriri was the villain as he fluffed his team’s second penalty after Danny Phiri had coolly converted the first to make the scores 1-1.

George Majika and Passmore Bernard also converted for the Gamecocks who did not need to take their fifth penalty.

Triangle coach Biggie Zuze was elated by the result.

“No one gave us a chance to go this far but we have managed to do it. I am happy that we have managed to achieve our goal of at least reaching the final.

“It was a tough match but our guys did well especially in defence,” he said.

Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas rued his team’s poor shooting.

“We should have won it in regulation time but it happens in football. It’s not the end of the world, we will keep our heads high and move on,” he said.

Before a poor crowd, the game began at pedestrian pace with the first 15 minutes failing to produce a single shot on target.

Clemence Matawu had the first crack at goal on 25 minutes but his tame effort was easily collected by Mudimu.

With Matawu, Brian Juru, Danny Phiri and Bheki Ncube slowly finding their groove in midfield Chicken Inn dominated possession but the final ball to veteran striker Mkhokheli Dube was always poor.

With the uneventful first half ending in a goalless deadlock, the fans who stayed away had not missed much.

Tonha went inches wide with a free kick soon after half-time while at the other end an unmarked Matawu shot over, off a cross from the right by Thabani Goredema.

In attempt to unlock the Sugar Sugar rear guard, Antipas introduced Majika but Triangle played for penalties with Mudimu employing every trick in the book to delay play.

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