HARARE - Merciful Ncube showed no mercy on FC Platinum, bagging two goals in each half to help his team Motor Action registered an impressive win over the Zvishavane-based side yesterday.
The Motor Action striker scored from the penalty spot 25 minutes into the match before doubling the lead after 48 minutes with a wonder strike outside the box.
Left-back Jonathan Chitereki sealed FC Platinum fate with a goal that deflected off the visiting platinum miners’ captain Thabani Kamusoko on 58 minutes.
FC Platinum started the match with the intention to score with striker Benjamin Marere frequenting the Mighty Bulls box before sinking into oblivion thereafter.
Motor Action finally got into the groove immediately after Platinum’s brief dominance as Ncube forced a safe from Tafadzwa Dube from a set piece on 14 minutes.
The Mighty Bulls were then rewarded for their pressure 11 minutes later when Ncube was brought down inside the box by the visitors’ goalie Tafadzwa Dube.
Ncube picked himself up and slotted his spot kick straight down Dube’s goal to give the home side the lead.
Three minutes after the halftime break, Ncube scored his second to double the Mighty Bulls lead when he capitalised on a mix-up inside the Platinum defence.
Another defensive blunder from the visitors’ allowed Chitereki to score the Mighty Bulls’ third after an in-swinging free-kick from the left caused anxious moments inside the box.
Motor Action coach Joey Antipas was pleased with the ‘five star’ performance from his players.
“The boys put up a five star show that we definitely needed because we had been through a slumping form,” Antipas said after the match.
“One thing for sure is that we dominated the game for longer periods; we were solid at the back and very happy considering that there have been a lot of haphazard performances of late.”
FC Platinum coach Tendai Chikuni blamed his players’ attitude towards the match for the defeat adding that they did not show the hunger to win.
“We were not in the game at all if you looked at the guys’ attitude on the field. You could tell that we were off form and the moment we conceded the penalty it really made things tough for us.
“It was a genuine penalty Tafadzwa Dube went for the player instead of getting the ball.”