-Grenada national player Kithson Bain slams home a double against Netrockers as Alpha United rushes into semi-final round with 5-1 romp
Bakewell Topp XX and Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United scored contrasting wins on Boxing Night to reach the semifinal round of the 21st Kashif and Shanghai football tournament.
In matches at the Mackenzie Sports Complex ground, Alpha `The Hammer’ United breezed past Netrockers 5-1 while home team Topp XX edged the Guyana Defence Force 2-1 Sunday night.
In the curtain raiser Grenada’s Kithson Bain proved to be the bane of Netrockers’ existence with a double as the tournament favourites rushed into the semi-finals with their 5-1 romp.
In the feature encounter Topp XX kept Linden fans hopes alive with a gritty 2-1 win over the tough GDF team.
Linden fans could not asked for a better main feature as the five-time Kashif and Shanghai champions, Topp XX, played excellent football much to the delight of the home crowd.
The eight-time finalist stunned the GDF squad when they drew first blood in the 24th minute when Keon Sears took a shot from at the tip of the GDF 18-yard box.
The shot was misjudged by the GDF custodian Akel Clarke and the ball hit the inside of the left upright and rolled into the back of the net.
In the second half GDF’s forward Delroy Dean got an opportunity to score and exploited it to the fullest in the 49th minute to make it an even game again.
Travis Waterton, though, became the hero of the night for Topp XX when he displayed good dribbling skills to evade a few GDF defenders before letting off a shot to goal.
However, the ball rebounded and found him again and his next attempt hit a defender and the ball returned to him. It was third time lucky for Waterton as he duly scored the game decider in the final minute.
Earlier in the night the game between Alpha and Netrockers saw both teams trying to sort out their passes and get their plays organized.
Alpha drew first blood in the 15th minute from a play which developed from a corner kick. The ball found the Grenada’s national payer Bain who headed it over the custodian, who made a valiant but futile attempt to save the shot.
Six minutes later Bain doubled Alpha’s lead when he blasted a ball past the goalkeeper after receiving a terrific pass on the left flank from Dwain Jacobs.
Netrockers pulled one back in the 39th minute when Matthew ‘Assassin’ Pollard scored from the penalty spot after Philbert Moffat committed a foul in the 18-yard box.
At the brink of half time Howard Lowe made it a two possession game again when he blasted the ball into the back of the net after a few failed attempts.
Two minutes into the second half Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams scored again for Alpha taking his tally to five.
Alpha then put the issue beyond doubt when Dwight Peters recorded Alpha’s fifth goal in the 88th minute.
