Alpha United in preparation for their remaining CONCACAF Champions League fixture, humbled the Georgetown All-Stars by a 5-2 score line in their final local practice fixture on Wednesday at the GFC ground, Bourda.
Gregory Richardson, who is expected to depart local shores tomorrow to face the Portland Timbers in Oregon, USA, led ‘the Hammers’ with a second half double in the 52nd and 56th minutes. He was assisted by Manasseh Primo, Aldair Paredes and Daniel Wilson who netted in the 14th, 61st and 77th minutes, respectively.
On target for the losers, Eon Alleyne and Devon Millington scored in the 31st and 59th minutes correspondingly. Featuring a team made of current Golden Jaguar internationals, the All-Stars quickly fell behind when Primo gave Alpha the perfect start to the opening half.
On racing into the left side of the penalty area, Primo placed his lobbed effort into the right-hand corner, after custodian Dorville Stewart was caught in two minds in deciding to challenge for possession or stay on his goal line.
Reshawn Sandiford almost restored parity to proceedings for the combined side, but he was denied by the legs of shot-stopper Richie Richards low to his right in the 30th minute, after stealing the ball from the Alpha defender just outside the box. The score was levelled one minute later when Alleyne slotted his effort to the back of the net from just outside the left upright, after receiving a perfectly placed right-sided pass.
With the scores unchanged for the remainder of the half, both sides decided to utilise their respective benches. The change in personnel quickly benefited the Champions League participants as Richardson netted, capitalising on another error by the custodian.
Racing into the left side of the area, the versatile attacker evaded the on-rushing Stewart before curling his right-footed effort into the empty net. The scores then became 3-1 as Richardson sealed his brace, lashing his attempt down the middle of the goal from within the left side of the 18-yard box, after racing onto a missed pass by the opposing right fullback.
The All-Stars cut the deficit to one three minutes later when Millington etched his name on the scorer’s sheet in sublime fashion. Tasked with taking a free kick 22 yards from goal just outside the centre of the area, he unleashed a thunderous right-footed strike that sailed into the top right hand corner, giving the diving Ronson Williams no chance between the woodwork.
However, those celebrations were quickly extinguished when Alpha restored their two-goal cushion two minutes later as Paredes netted with a simple finish to the lower left hand corner from the centre of the area.
Domini Garnett wasted a great chance in the 64th minute to pull his side to within one once more when he directed his uncontested header just wide of the left corner, after collecting a perfectly weighted Jermaine Junior cross within the centre of the six-yard box.
Stewart then prevented Richardson from completing his hat trick in the 70th minute when his flat right-footed shot from the left side of the area, was tipped smartly around the latter’s left upright.
Chances continued to be created for the Alpha outfit as Chan blasted his strike just wide of the left corner in the 72nd minute, after latching onto a missed clearance by the All-Stars defender.
Under pressure for most of the period, the All-Stars almost grabbed another goal in the 74th minute as a powerfully struck Junior left-footed attempt was brilliantly denied by Williams who flung himself at full stretch to his right.
On the opposite end of the park, the woodwork came to the rescue of the combined side as Paredes thumped his effort into the crossbar from within the centre of the area in the 76th minute.
With the result already decided, Wilson netted his side’s final goal when he rounded the advancing Stewart within the right side of the area, before placing his shot down the middle of the goal.
