-Conquerors survive Lethem
Defending champions Alpha United hammered Cougars of Berbice 10-1 when the annual Kashif and Shanghai year-end football extravaganza continued at the Plaisance ground on Wednesday.
Alpha’s Elton Brown struck with lethal force scoring half of his team’s goals (54’, 57’, 71’, 76’, 80’) while Andrew Murray Jr. (21’ and 38’) Grenadian loan player Kithson Gains (5’ and 11’) and Dwayne Jacobs (89’) were the goal-scorers.
Playing in the second game of the evening, Alpha’s forwards made it clear to the Berbice team that they were in demolition mode. They started by ‘feeling out’ their opponents before Gains pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area and deftly put the ball past the Berbice goal keeper five minutes into the game. He would complete his double six minutes later after receiving a splendid pass from Brown in the 18 yards box, evading two defenders and finishing with a tidy left foot shot to the near post to beat the `keeper.
Murray soon joined the goal rush after scoring from a pass that Gains sent over the goal area. The national youth player then placed it into the back of the net with a well-timed volley. Murray rounded off his double with a similar goal but this time the pass came from Jacobs, who enjoyed a very good game playing on the wings.
At the end of the half, Alpha United was up 4-0. By this time spectators had started to disperse; foreseeing the outcome of the game.
Coach Wayne “Wiggy” Dover utilized all his substitutes in the second half, bringing in Emrick Williams for Murray, Shawn Bishop for Gains and Gordon Henry for Phillbert Moffat. This only meant more trouble for the Cougars goal keeper who appeared lost and was often clumsy handling the ball. Brown, on seeing the ham-handedness of the Berbician `keeper began his goal-scoring spree, landing all his shots on target.
The Cougars’ performance was lacklustre with Winston Benjamin scoring in the 72nd minute. Alpha’s margin of victory mirrors that of 1998 winner Doc’s Khelawalaas of Trinidad and Tobago which thrashed a Berbice team in the tournament. With this win, Alpha sends a strong message to their next opponents Pele, whom they will play on Christmas Day at the National Stadium at Providence.
Meanwhile, Fruta Conquerors scraped past Lethem All-Stars 1-0 in the opening encounter. Lethem made Conquerors work extra hard to move on to the next stage and won the support of the fans after clearly out-playing the city team at all ends of the field. However, their downfall was not converting on clear goal opportunities.
Scores at the end of the first half were deadlocked but the second period would see a more determined Fruta Conquerors. The Tucville-based team looked more positive in their moves on goal and passed the ball a bit more.
National youth striker Manasseh Primo in the 61st minute received a pass from Dillon Williams in the 18 yards box and made no mistake in finding the back of the net. The goal did not daunt Lethem’s spirits but they couldn’t finish and the Conquerors held onto the win with Primo’s lone goal. The Guyana Beverage sponsored team will now move on to play on Boxing Day at the McKenzie Sports Club ground.
