By Ras Wadada

SUPERB goalkeeping by Winslow McDowall, complemented by a clinical finish from substitute Devon Millington, inspired Slingerz FC to a 1-0 victory over Alpha United and the Club’s first National Football Championship, when the top two in the country met last Sunday night at the Leonora Park in the Guyana Football Federation(GFF)/STAG Elite League ‘Champion of Champions’ decider.Before a fair-sized crowd, both teams attacked each other from the opening whistle in search of an early lead, with Alpha creating more clear-cut chances that were competently turned back by the Vincentian custodian McDowall, who was quick off his line. He twice denied Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams on ‘one-on-one’ situations in the box to give his team hope at the end of a score-less first half.
Twelve minutes after the break, Slingerz coach Joseph ‘Bill’ Wilson introduced his trump card Millington, who was inserted for Dominique Garnett and he responded with zest to give his team a needed lift.
The nippy Millington received a stiff pass from right back Murilo Barbosa midway into Alpha’s half on the attacking right in the 73rd minute. His control of the pass, in motion, turned Alpha’s left back, Chris Comacho, inside out before eluding the onrushing defender to make inroads into to the area and then he unleashed the winner.
From just inside the box on the right Millington booted home low to the far post with a perfect instep right-booter that left goalkeeper Richie Richards flat-footed and stranded at the near post.
At the other end of the field, Alpha’s Daniel Wilson was squandering the several offers served up, while McDowall continued to shine in goal for Slingerz and on one occasion he left his line to punch clear of danger at the top of the area. Alpha also had a goal overruled by referee Sherwin Moore just before Millington’s winner.
Millington’s golden conversion sixteen minutes after his introduction proved to be the determining factor in a fast-paced contest that lived up to its billing to the very last whistle which subsequently brought joy to the winners and sadness to the losers. It was also fitting that the title of club supremacy was handed over by the reigning Champs Alpha to the new Champions Slingerz.
It was not the end result that coach Dover had plotted for his charges, ”It was a very disappointing end because we did everything to win the game, but we see again that finishing is an awful situation for Alpha.
We created lots of chances but did not convert then coming down to the bottom we made a very silly mistake and they capitalised on that goal-scoring opportunity which gave them the Championship. At the end of the day it came down to who converted their chances”.
A happy ‘Bill’ Wilson, in a post-match victory comment, summed up his feelings to Chronicle Sport, “To win a Championship is always a good feeling, but to win it in the manner we did is an even greater feeling. We have worked very hard as a team, making a lot of sacrifices and commitments so the success is sweeter.
The players, the management and staff, the owner of the club Javed and our fans have all made their contributions and at the end of the day, collectively, we have achieved what we had set about to achieve – to win a National Club Championship and to qualify to compete with top clubs of the region so as to give our players the opportunity to showcase their talents. It has been an outstanding season for all.”
The newly crowned Kings of Guyana’s Elite Football Clubs dominated all in the League Genesis and Finale where they played the other seven Elite clubs twice in the two phases. However, in the Play-offs to decide the winner they went on to win the Genesis title last year November by beating Alpha 3-2 in the final, but lost the Finale via a penalty shoot-out with Alpha just over a week ago and the stage was set for a grand ‘Champion of Champions’ showdown to determine the National Club Champions of Guyana.
“Our victory is like Justice has prevailed. I keep saying there is no need to have a KO to determine a League Champion as far as I am concerned. Had we lost it would have been unfair because over the four rounds of matches in both the phases we have beaten all the teams. Having said that I must admit that Alpha played much better than I anticipated. It was a highly competitive and open game. They played far better than in the previous meeting which they won on penalties,” Wilson opined.
The Secondary School teacher who hails from BV also singled out the performances of three of his players, “Vurlon Mills always gives the team a boost in confidence whenever he is present and although he is not fully fit he played well within his limitations and did make his presence felt. I thought goalkeeper Winslow McDowall came up big time and had an outstanding night.
He is an experienced and quality goalkeeper and he showed it in this game big time. It was a deliberate tactic to bring Millington from off the bench and it worked,” Wilson disclosed.