-advance to quarter-finals
Alpha United scored a lopsided 6-0 win over Seawall Football Club when the 21st Kashif and Shanghai Football tournament continued at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Ground last night.
And, in the supporting game, five-time champions Top XX, edged Ann’s Grove 2-1 in a close contest.
A fair sized crowd last night witnessed Alpha United demolish Seawall United 6 – 0 in the feature showdown.
The surprise promised by Seawall FC’s coach Andrew Thom did not materialise as Alpha United ran riot over the hapless Sewall team in the second half.
There was little hint of the goal spree that would ensue after the two teams battled to an intriguing goalless first 45 minutes.
In the first half, the Seawall team gave the opposition quite a few scares, especially in the opening moments.
However, after the 15-minute break it was a completely different game after Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams drew first blood for Alpha in the 50th minute. He followed up on a shot taken by team mate Dwight Peters that the Seawall custodian denied but could not gather.
Two minutes later, Abrams followed up on another shot that crept past the custodian to make it a two goal lead. Soon after, Peters rushed down the right flank and blasted a shot that rocked the back of the net after receiving a terrific ball from midfield in the 55th minute. At this juncture Seawall FC’s spirit seemed broken by the relentless attack of the Alpha strikers.
Alpha put the issue beyond doubt when Dwain Jacobs scored in the 62nd minute while Abrams scored twice more (80th and 81st) to complete a helmet-trick.
Seawall United team’s name seemed misleading in this game as there was nothing “wall” like about their defensive line which was constantly being breached and which left their custodian exposed to the mercy of the Alpha United’s strikers.
In the curtain raiser, the Topp XX and Ann’s Grove teams were at each other’s necks in the opening minutes. Topp XX gained the lead when McKinnon scored in the 21st minute.
Ann’s Grove responded by immediately putting their foot on the gas and began playing with greater urgency as they searched for the equaliser.
They were rewarded not long after when Kevon Barry found an opportunity and exploited it to the fullest in the 27th minute.
That goal was the last before the half time whistle.
A see-saw battle ensued in the second half until McKinnon was gifted a chance to score the decider in the 70th minute and made no mistake, burying the ball in the back of the net.
McKinnon’s goal was the game decider; a shot the opposition had no answer for as the eventual victors defended their lead until the regulation time whistle.
Over at the Blairmont Community Centre ground, the Guyana Defence Force defeated Rosignol United 2-0 while Santos edged New Amsterdam United 2-1. (See tomorrow’s issue for full details).
