The Sunburst Camptown team was crowned champions of the Fruta Conquerors-organized, third annual NAMILCO Football Festival after defeating BK International Western Tigers on penalty kicks Friday night at the Tucville Playfield.
Camptown defeated Western Tigers after a nail-biting encounter that saw the game going into extra time after being deadlocked 1 – 1 and 2 – 2 at the end of regulation and extra times.
Prior to the final, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) sank New Amsterdam United in a high-scoring close encounter that ended 5 – 4.
Camptown walked away with $400,000 while Western Tigers received the runner up prize of $200,000.
The GDF won $100,000 for coming out victorious in the third place showdown against N/A whose award was $50,000 for fourth place.
The final was contested at a controlled pace on both sides displayed their superiority in formation and ball possession.
However, neither Camptown nor the `Tigers’ were able to score in the first 45 minutes.
Four minutes into the second half however Tigers drew first blood through a Dwayne Ali strike.
But, they suffered a set back when Phillip Rowley was dealt a red card in the 69th minute.
That slim lead was terrifically defended until Rishawn Sandiford stormed down the right flank and fired a firm shot past the goal keeper into the back of the net in the 86th minute for the equalizer.
The first half of extra time saw Camptown taking the lead compliments of a Nigel Codrington header from a free kick on the right flank.
Codrington soon after received a red card for taking his celebrations too far and the teams’ numbers were equal once again.
Devon Millington then found the equalizer for the `Tigers’ four minutes later when he broke through the Camptown defence and let off a shot that the opposition’s custodian could only get a light touch of before the ball flew under him an made its way into the back of the net.
The penalty kicks saw Camptown being successful on all five attempts while Western missed the second and scored the first, third and fourth attempts.
The goal-riddled match between GDF and N/A saw the army team scoring two quick early goals in the sixth and seventh minutes from Travis Garraway and William Europe, respectively.
Later in that half (first) Lerone Charles and Joey Payne scored in the 33rd and 37th minutes to develop an unassailable lead for GDF.
Upon the second half’s commencement, Adrian Adams pulled one back for New Amsterdan in the 55th minute then Quacy Price recorded GDF’s fifth and final goal in the 65th minute.
Spectators then witness Rondel Hazel and Elroy Lewis scoring in the 70th and 71st minutes for N/A then making it a one possession game in the 76th minute when Adams completed his brace.
It seemed that N/A would equalize when developing a few good runs to get near goal but the army team persevered to the end to complete their tournament run victorious.
