BULAWAYO - Chicken Inn recorded their biggest win of the season after they trampled on relegation candidates Blue Rangers in a one-sided Castle Premiership match yesterday.

Rangers dropped one place to number 14 on the log and with 24 points they now need a miracle to survive relegation in the remaining three matches.

The home side had a dream start when they found themselves 4-0 up inside the opening 14 minutes with little resistance from Rangers.

The first goal for the hosts came as early as the fourth minute when Thabani Goredema fired past Rangers goalie Pedzisai Gumiremhete.

Four minutes later, Thomas Chimenya made it 2-0 for the hosts after Gumiremhete miscalculated a cross before leaving his goal unattended allowing Chimenya to easily slot the ball home.

Before the visitors could regroup, Chimenya was at it again after he capitalised on a slip by Rangers’ defender Charles Manjere before beating Gumiremhete to score the Gamecocks’ third in the 10th minute.

In the 14th minute, Brian Mbiriri added his name on the score sheet when he converted a free kick from the edge of the box after Gumiremhete was adjudged to have fouled a Chicken Inn player.

From that resultant kick, Mbiriri got it right with a curling shot. It was after the fourth goal that the Gamecocks apparently due to complacency allowed Rangers to rise from the opening disaster.

There were no further goals in the opening half as it seemed Chicken Inn were content with protecting their four-goal lead.

Rangers pulled one back six minutes after the restart after MacDonald Motsi capitalised on the hosts’ poor marking in the box.

Despite having somehow crawled back into their cocoons, Chicken Inn put the game to bed when Young Warriors midfielder Kudakwashe Mahachi completed the rout in the 69th minute.

Blue Rangers defenders conceived an ill-timed offside trap and allowed Jackson Moses to send an inviting cross from the right that was met by the enterprising Mahachi.

Rangers coach Partson Ndabambi was devastated by the opening 15 minutes display from his team.

“Our first 15 minutes were a disaster and it was only after that, we started dominating up until the end of the game,” said Ndabambi.

Chicken Inn coach Adam Ndlovu said: “The boys played very well especially in the opening minutes but later on relaxed allowing them to pull one back.”