HARARE - FC Platinum put up a vintage second half performance to overcome a determined Triangle in a Castle Premiership match at Mandava Stadium yesterday.

Yesterday’s win took the platinum miners to 15 points from six games and now enjoy a three-point lead over second placed CAPS United.

The home side responded well from last weekend derby defeat to Shabanie Mine but they had to do it the hard way as they faced some stiff resistance from sugar cane farmers yesterday.

From the first half the home side tried everything to get the break through but they were repelled by a stubborn Triangle defence.

The visitors’ defence was finally breached in the 74th minute when referee Allen Basvi awarded the home side a controversial indirect free kick.

Basvi penalised Triangle goalkeeper Godfrey Chipula for stepping outside the box when he was about to take a counter kick.

Ali Sadiki took the kick and the first attempt was blocked before Basvi ordered re-take.

Sadiki scored on the second attempt.

Three minutes later, the home side were two goals to the good when Charles Sibanda got to the end of a rebound from a defensive slip up involving Chipula and defender Blessing Chimwamuchere.

The two goals took steam out of Triangle and another lapse in concentration in the 86th minute allowed Donald Ngoma to sneak in from the right before picking up Joel Ngodzo.

The midfielder finished off the move with curling effort that beat Chipula.

After the match Triangle coach Gishon Ntini blamed the referee saying the decision on the first goal affected his players.

“The match was balanced but the decision by the referee affected my players otherwise we had a nice game,” he said.

FC Platinum assistant coach Tendai Chikuni said: “In the first half we did not play our normal game but we noted that they were wicker on the wings thus why we adjusted our strike force and started piling pressure from the wings.” - Sports Writer