TRIANGLE coach Jairos Tapera remains modest about his team’s chances of winning the league title this year despite closing the gap on the leading teams with a thumping victory over Cranborne Bullets at Gibbo Stadium yesterday.
After posting two draws away from home, the Sugar Boys returned to their favourite hunting ground in style, as they recorded their biggest victory so far this season.
While the home supporters went home a happy lot with the huge victory, in all honest, their team could have scored a dozen yesterday.
Donald Ngoma, the scorer of the two goals that started the rout, could have easily scored five or more had he been more clinical.
So open was the game though, the visitors could also have scored a dozen goals of their own.
In the end, only seven goals were witnessed in this thriller.
The victory took Triangle United to third position on the log standings with 28 points, just three behind new leaders Chicken Inn.
They are now two points behind second-placed Dynamos.
Asked if he could be fancying the team’s chances of winning the title, Tapera said: “We can’t be talking about the championship, we are still in the early stages of the season. We have a young team and it’s still a learning process for us. We also have to give respect to the other teams ahead of us. Some have been together for the past 16 months and you say you want to get the championship ahead of them, it can’t be right. We respect those who want to get the championship and we will continue to get ourselves points that at the end of the day we survive relegation.”
Ngoma gave his side an ideal start to the match when he opened the scoring just two minutes into the game and completed his brace eight minutes later.
Tinashe Kabanda made it three as Triangle went to halftime with a commanding lead.
Brian Muzondiwa gave his side hope when he pulled one back on the 49th minute but Russell Madamombe increased Triangle’s goal cushion to three on the 75th minute.
Three minutes later, substitute Wonder Kapinda halved the scores with a good goal but Gerald Bhero killed any hopes of the away side’s possible comeback on the 80th minute.
‘It feels good to score five goals at home in front of the supporters,” Tapera enthused. “But I wasn’t happy with the way we conceded the two goals. Those were soft goals. We could have probably won by seven or eight goals without conceding.
“But this is a wonderful team and I’m happy for them. Defensively they can have some momentary lapses in concentration and it’s something we need to work on.”
On his team’s failure to convert the numerous chances that fell its way, Tapera said he was not worried.
“Mistakes are always there. Football is about mistakes and I’m happy that they are getting into scoring positions. It makes my work easier because now we just have to work on the finishing.”
Cranborne Bullets coach Nesbert Saruchera admitted it could have been worse for his team.
“We didn’t defend well. We didn’t have enough rest because our travelling was not up to scratch. Maybe that is why the players at the back could not run but I can’t complain about that really because our defence was not up to scratch. We could have conceded seven today if not more. I will make sure we rectify that. Overall we also did well because we could also have scored five as well but it was not our day.”
This was Bullets’ second defeat in a row after they fell to Yadah last week.
They remain on 16 points, just one point above the team occupying the relegation cut-off point.
Teams
Triangle: T Chitsumba, J Mukombwe, M Ngwenya, Kelvin Gwao, T Chisi, R Madamombe (E Mawuna, 89′), T Mkunga, T Kabanda, T Mutunhami (D Chirambamuriwo, 56′), G Bhero, D Ngoma
Cranborne Bullets: E Nechiturike, M Mushangwe, B Gupurira, L Zvasiya (T Kachembere, 56′), T Charakupa, X Janatana, T Chibunyu, J Selemani, B Muzondiwa, K Mureremba (W Kapinda, 65′)
