BK International Western Tigers outplayed Alpha United in the final of the sixth Mackeson English/ Kashif and Shanghai Futsal Competition to be crowned new champions at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Saturday night.
Roars of victory shook the venue as the players and supporters sensed a win with the final whistle drawing near and the score board reading 3 – 2 in Western Tigers favour.
When the regulation time whistle sounded, Western Tigers’ supporters swarmed the playing arena to congratulate their team on a job well done as they walked away with the Mackeson English/K&S Trophy and the top prize of $500,000.
Alpha United will receive the $250,000 runner up prize for finishing second to the new champions.
Western Tigers’ Devon Millington, accumulated a total of 12 goals from five matches to claim the Highest Goal Scorer award.
He drew first blood in the final and had Alpha under early pressure by scoring in the eighth minute with a firm strike that got past the goal keeper.
However, Alpha was able to find the equalizer compliments of Quincy Madramootoo’s 15th minute strike that defeated the opposition’s custodian.
The second half resumed with both teams tied on one goal each then Alpha got an opportunity to go ahead and capitalized on it to the fullest.
Alpha was awarded with a 10-yard penalty kick that was taken by Shawn ‘Fatso’ Bishop whose hard flat kick to the left rocketed into the back of the net in the 36th minute.
The very next minute the eventual victors equalized from a corner kick which deflected off one of Alpha’s defenders who was at first post. It hit the leg of the player who was part of a defensive wall and crept past the goal-keeper whose reaction to the change of course by the ball was too slow.
With about 2:17s left on the clock Delon Fraser scored in the 38th minute for the Tigers with a firm, hard shot that the goal-keeper had no chance of getting his finger tips to.
In the third place showdown, Flamingo dusted aside Uprising 6 – 3 to take the $150,000 third place prize while Uprising settled for the $100,000 fourth place prize.
It was a tough battle but Flamingo registered a comfortable win in the end as they were led a Sean Peters hat-trick which was completed in extra time.
Omali Nassy (25th and 30th) scored a double for Uprising and Daniel Favourite supported with one goal in the ninth minute, which was the opening goal of the match.
Peters recorded his goals in the 20th, 35th and 36th minutes while the belligerent Leon Yaw rustled up a double (18th and 32nd) and Deon Allen helped out by scoring once in the 31st minute.
In the final of the Exhibition Competition, North East defeated Banks DIH 1 – 0 in a hard-fought match while Prestige Barbershop defeated Sweet Point 3 – 1 in the third place showdown and Ansa McAl humbled Upper Level Barbershop 4 – 1.
