Triangle thump Byo City
Bulawayo City........................................(1) 1 Triangle United .................................... (0) 3
VETERAN striker Donald Ngoma scored a second-half brace as Triangle United came from a goal down to overpower Bulawayo City in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter which saw the Sugar Sugar Boys rise to second on the log.
Triangle are now on 19 points but could slide back to number four if Manica Diamonds and Dynamos win in their respective fixtures in Mutare and Harare this afternoon.
Melikhaya Ncube found the target for Bulawayo City in the first half, but Amakhosi went to sleep in the second period to allow Ngoma to score in quick succession, before Walter Sande made sure of three points for the visitors.
Bulawayo City coach Philani “Beefy’’ Ncube had his plans changed by injuries to striker Mgcini Sibanda and goalkeeper Bhekimpilo Ncube, with both of them having to be taken out.
It was the injury to the goalkeeper, who came off at the beginning of the second half, which made it worse, as his replacement, Elton Sibanda, conceded seemingly soft goals.
A distraught Ncube was a disappointed that his players had failed to carry on from the impressive display away against Yadah, from which they earned a point.
“One thing for sure: I am one guy who is very disappointed. We were in control but the turning point was the substitution of the goalkeeper,” Ncube said.
“I wouldn’t like to point to my player that he contributed to the loss — we lost as a team — but one thing for sure: The relationship between the back-four and Bheki (the goalkeeper) had given us positive results.”
Jairos Tapera, who has done well with his rebuilding exercise at Triangle, felt that his team were disjointed at the beginning and only came to life after they scored at the beginning of the second half.
“The first 10 minutes was like hell to us, we were disorganised, we were losing possession unnecessarily, we were not covering spaces that we had anticipated the opposition were using, but I am happy that we picked up.
“What then brought us back was the first goal that we scored early in the second half,’’ he said.
City dominated the early exchanges and Ncube, the lad who broke Bosso fans’ hearts a few weeks ago, hit the target with just four minutes played.
Amakhosi, however, wasted a lot of goal-scoring opportunities and they were punished in the second half.
Ngoma scored the equaliser soon after the start of the second half after City’s substitute keeper Sibanda punched the ball into veteran striker’s path.
He obliged by hitting the roof of the net. The former FC Platinum man sealed his brace with a pin-point header inside the box after being fed by substitute Dzingai Chirambamurivo.
Four minutes later, Chirambamurivo paced down the left wing to set up Sande, who pushed the ball past Sibanda.
Teams:
Bulawayo City: B Ncube (Sibanda 46 mins), D Sibanda, V Moyo, W Munorwei, L Ncube (Lunga 72 mins), N Gurende (Machisi 58 mins), M Ncube, D Jaricha (Farasi 62 mins), W Ndiweni, M Sibanda (Dlodlo 42 mins), N Ndlovu
G Chitsumba, J Mukombwe, M Ngwenya, K Gwao, A Chiveya, T Mkunga, W Sande, S Verenga (Kabanda 42 mins), R Madamombe (Chirambamurivo 63 mins), G Bero, D Ngoma.