Clinical Second Half Earns MWOS FC U17 Maximum Points at St Eric

MWOS FC U17 produced a determined second-half display to secure a deserved 2-0 victory over Dalny FC at St Eric High School, with the Young Punters turning dominance into goals after an entertaining and fiercely contested encounter.

The opening half was a story of near misses and relentless pressure from the home side. From the opening whistle, the U17s showed attacking intent, creating a string of chances through Carlos Mutapiri, Ralph Charuma and Brian Vareta. The Young Punters repeatedly threatened from corners and set pieces, but despite controlling large spells of possession, they were unable to find the breakthrough before the interval.

Dalny FC remained dangerous throughout the first half and nearly capitalised on a one-on-one opportunity, only for goalkeeper Bembwe to come off his line brilliantly and force the effort wide. Strong defensive work from Gary Gavheni and Marlon Nyapfere ensured the teams went into the break deadlocked at 0-0.

The second half saw MWOS FC U17 raise the tempo even further. Coach Milanzi introduced Thembinkosi Gutuza and Tevez Ncube just before the hour mark, a move that added fresh energy to the Young Punters’ attack.

As the pressure mounted, Carlos Mutapiri continued to pull the strings in the final third, causing problems for the Dalny defence with his movement and creativity. Gary Gavheni came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock with a long-range free kick that sailed inches over the crossbar.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 68th minute. Admire Mangoma provided the decisive pass and Tevez Ncube kept his composure to finish clinically, sending the home supporters into celebration as MWOS FC U17 deservedly took the lead.

With confidence flowing, the Young Punters continued to attack. Gutuza and Mangoma combined well moments later, while Ralph Charuma and Carlos Mutapiri both came close as the hosts searched for a second goal.

That second goal arrived from the penalty spot in the 74th minute after the U17s were awarded a penalty. Charuma stepped up and calmly dispatched the spot kick to double the advantage and put the Young Punters firmly in control of the contest.

Even with a two-goal cushion, the Young Punters refused to sit back. Nyapfere tested the goalkeeper with a powerful strike from distance, while the team maintained their attacking momentum until the final whistle.

Reflecting on the victory, Coach Milanzi praised the character shown by his players throughout the afternoon.

“They showed character today,” he said. “We struggled a bit in the first half, but we managed to penetrate as the game went on. I liked the attacking mood of the boys.”

The victory was another encouraging display from the Young Punters, who combined resilience, discipline and attacking football to claim all three points in front of their home supporters.