Amelia’s Ward scored an upset win over the 2009 champions BK Western Tigers in game four of the 22nd annual Kashif and Shanghai football tournament at the Georgetown Football Club ground Friday evening.
Amelia’s Ward triumphed 4-3 on penalty kicks and the win completed a night of surprise results after Grove Hi Tech had also triumphed over the more fancied Netrockets on penalty kicks in the evening’s earlier encounter.
Amelia’s Ward will now play the winner of today’s clash in Beterverwagting (BV) between Buxton Stars and Den Amstel on Wednesday.
In rainy conditions which made ball control fairly difficult, both teams approached this deficiency by playing very aggressively, which resulted in a very open game that was evenly contested.
Amelia’s Ward was to first team to benefit from this attacking approach when Travis Watterton scored the opening goal in the 22nd minute, before Randolph Wagner equalized in the 30th minute via a corner kick. More attempts on goal were produced, but none resulted in goals as both sides went into the first half with the score tied 1-1.
Upon resumption, the style of play during the first half continued as did the rain and shots continued to pour down on the goals at both ends.
Amelia’s Ward made it 2-1 when Shawn Daniels scored from a free-kick just outside the 18-yard box in the 56th minute.
Co-incidentally as was the case in the first half, eight minutes later Wendell St Hill equalized in the 64th minute.
Play ended 2-2 in normal time, and after 90 minutes of pacey end-to-end football, the engines of the players visibly decreased as did the chances.
In the penalty shootout, the score was knotted at 3-3, before BK Western Tigers missed their fourth kick and had their last one saved, to leave Amelia’s Ward celebrating victory.
Other than the aforementioned game on today, the other game at BV will see Bakewell Topp XX facing Seawall FC.
