Hardrock’s 10-game winning streak faces MWOS test

It is the kind of fixture that could define a team’s ambitions, test its character and potentially reshape the narrative of the season.

Log leaders Hardrock welcome last season’s runners-up MWOS at Chahwanda Stadium this Sunday, knowing that a victory over the Punters will see them take a huge step towards a historic league triumph in their debut season.

Hardrock are five points clear at the top with three games to go before the season ends. Kelvin Kaindu’s charges have won their last ten league matches and, on paper, look unstoppable.

But football is not played on paper. It is played on the field and anyone familiar with MWOS will be fully aware that the Punters are very capable of rising to the occasion, despite not having the best of seasons by their own standards.

It was actually MWOS who were the first to stop defending champions Scottland, after Norman Mapeza’s charges had won nine consecutive games.

The two sides played out a goalless draw at Rufaro Stadium on August 1 – a contest many felt Lloyd Mutasa’s charges should have won, especially because they were denied what looked like a clear penalty right at the death by referee Quedisani Dirwai, who went on to be suspended for the ‘error’.

In the case of Hardrock though, anyone who understands football will know that stopping a team that has won 10 games on the trot is a formidable assignment.

Such a run is rarely built on luck. It usually reflects consistency, confidence, tactical discipline and a squad that has learnt how to find a way to win, even when the odds are stacked against it.

Hardrock FC vs MWOS FC at Ngoni Stadium. Picture by Fanzone

The fact that Hardrock beat Highlanders at Barbourfields and Dynamos at Rufaro speaks volumes about how brilliant they have been in their title charge.

WILL HARDROCK PASS THE ACIDIC MWOS TEST?

Hardrock will approach Sunday’s encounter knowing that every victory has strengthened their belief. Their players are likely to take to the pitch with the confidence of a side that has become accustomed to collecting maximum points.

The longer a winning streak continues though, the greater the expectation becomes. Every opponent wants to be the team that finally brings it to an end and MWOS have the chance to make themselves part of Hardrock’s history for all the right reasons.

Football, after all, is not decided by winning streaks or statistics alone. It is decided by what happens over 90 minutes.

The Punters will be oozing with confidence heading into the clash, having won their last two games against Herentals and Triangle United, scoring five goals and conceding none in the process.

What will also give Mutasa’s men belief heading into the eagerly anticipated clash is the fact that the reverse fixture at Ngoni Stadium ended in a draw – a game in which they missed good chances, especially in the first half.

One thing is certain: if MWOS can stop Hardrock’s winning run, it will take more than three points to describe the significance of the achievement.

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