HARARE – An emotional Taurai Mangwiro yesterday called for calm from the club’s supporters saying it was imperative that they pull together if at all the club is to end its title drought.
The United gaffer was speaking to journalists after his side had survived a late scare from Chicken Inn to keep in touch with the Castle Premiership leading pack.
Kelvin Bulaji’s solitary strike came just three minutes after Ronald Pfumbidzai had his penalty attempt saved by Chicken Inn goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze was enough to decide the tie.
Despite dominating the first half, the Green Machine would hold on for dear life as Chicken Inn did everything right except find the back of the net.
The result saw United move into fourth place, just two points behind log leaders Highlanders.
But the visibly shaken United gaffer said he expected his charges to get due respect and called on the club’s supporters to pull together instead of degrading players.
“What these players are subjected to is unfair. If fans feel this is CAPS United’s year then support the players.
“Obviously, we are going to go through challenges but that’s expected. You could see how the players were treated in the second half when our play dropped,” Mangwiro said.
“I must confess it wasn’t an easy match but we ended up grinding the result. There was a lot of talk after the Dynamos match on what must happen to change our fortunes and this is encouraging,” he said.
“We want to keep in touch with the top teams but it’s going to take one game at a time. It’s a war that we must keep fighting. Last week we lost the battle against Dynamos but this time we have bounced back.”
Gamecocks coach Joey Antipas felt his side did everything right despite failing to find the back of the net.
“We are doing everything right but luck is not on our side. I don’t know. The gods must be crazy,” Antipas said.
United were on the ascendency early on and could have been ahead in the 11th minute after referee Maxwell Nyamhuri duly awarded a penalty for a late infringement on Bulaji.
Pfumbidzai stepped up to take the spot kick but Chipezeze did well to guess the right way.
Three minutes later, there would be no denying Bulaji.
But Chicken Inn remained in the hunt for an equaliser through efforts from Mkhokheli Dube, Brian Juru and Bekhimpilo Ncube but found United’s back line unyielding.