MWOS FC U19 Fall Short Against Highrange at MWOS Ngoni
MWOS FC U19 were left without a reward for their efforts after suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Highrange FC at MWOS Ngoni Stadium.
The Young Punters made the breakthrough in the 13th minute when Tanaka Maseko’s dangerous delivery from a Leeroy Zhawu free-kick caused confusion in the Highrange penalty area, with the ball taking an unfortunate deflection off a defender and finding its way into the net.
The opening goal gave MWOS FC U19 an early advantage, but Highrange responded with greater urgency and found their equaliser in the 25th minute.
The remainder of the first half produced an open contest, with both sides looking to create opportunities.
At the other end, goalkeeper Guranungo was called into action in the 40th minute after a defensive pass was intercepted, producing an important save to keep the scores level.
The teams went into the interval locked at 1-1, leaving the contest finely poised for the second half.
The Young Punters introduced Ralph Charuma for Cleopas Masumbuko at the restart, looking to bring a different dimension to their attacking play.
The hosts continued to search for openings, with Kean Maravanyika providing an important defensive intervention in the 53rd minute to deal with a threatening Highrange delivery.
At the other end, Charuma came close to making an immediate impact, racing towards a loose ball and sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, only for the opportunity to be cleared.
A promising move in the 61st minute saw Pardon Nyandoro receive a grounded pass from Tanaka Maseko before taking a touch and getting his effort away, but the Highrange goalkeeper was equal to it.
Highrange eventually found the decisive goal in the 65th minute, turning the contest in their favour.
The Young Punters pushed for another response, with Prosper Mawoyo testing the visitors from distance on two occasions, first forcing a save before sending his second attempt narrowly over the crossbar.
Further changes followed as MWOS FC U19 sought a way back into the match, but Highrange held on to their advantage until the final whistle.
Reflecting on the performance, Coach Steven Wade felt the team had put together a good first-half display but was disappointed with the loss of concentration after the break.
“We played well in the first half, but in the second half we lost concentration and conceded,” Wade said.
The coach, however, was keen to keep the focus forward, adding: “But we move on.”
The 2-1 result was a frustrating outcome for MWOS FC U19, particularly after taking the lead and creating opportunities to regain control of the contest.
Attention now turns to the next assignment away against Shamva Mine , with the Young Punters looking to take the lessons from this performance into their remaining fixture.