With his team struggling to penetrate a resolute Cranborne Bullets defence at Ngoni Stadium yesterday, MWOS coach Lloyd Mutasa probably wished he could step on to the field of play himself.
The veteran coach, in all likelihood, glanced at his substitutes bench and saw a person who is capable of winning the look like him contest —his son Wisdom Mutasa.
With 67 minutes on the clock and the Punters in desperate need of a breakthrough, Mutasa brought on Wisdom, together with Marcus Dan, Aristotol Manyama as replacements for leading goal scorer Everson Feremba, Nigel Matinha and Tinotenda Mutyambizi.
Three minutes later, Aristotol sent in a delightful cross into the box and Wisdom headed home to thrust MWOS ahead, to the delight of Mutasa.
The former Dynamos and CAPS United midfielders’ solitary strike was all MWOS needed to register a crucial win which keeps them at the summit of the Northern Region Soccer League with eleven games remaining in a gripping title race which will likely go down to the wire.
MWOS are four points clear at the top of the table, with 57 points from 26 matches.
Mutasa’ men are points three points clear of second-placed Harare City, who were edged by army side Black Rhinos 1-0 yesterday.
Third-placed Scottland can reduce the gap to one point if they beat bottom-placed CCLEE Mangura at Rufaro Stadium this afternoon, while MWOS await the outcome of their abandoned match against Shamva Mine.
Northern Region Soccer League match day 26 results:
PAM 1-0 Karoi United
Ngezi U-19 1-0 Shamva Mine
Mwos. 1-0 Cranborne Bullets
Black Rhinos 1-0 Harare City
Black Mambas 1-0 DZ Royal
Golden Eagles 0-0 Banket United
Agama 0-1 Trojan
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