— edge GDF 1-0 in final
SUNBURST Camptown are the Georgetown Football Association’s knockout `kings’, having edged GDF 1-0 in the final of the Banks Premium Beer Knock Out Tournament at the Tucville ground on Sunday night.

Kwame La Fleur netted the winning goal in the 60th minute to give Camptown the title.

In the third place play-off, Alpha United beat Fruta Conquerors 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after the two teams were tied 2-2 at the end of regulation and extra time.

In the feature match, Camptown launched a counter-attack down the middle of GDF’s half of the field and the ball was played to La Fleur who went through the Army’s defence and slotted it past the opposition’s custodian Akel Clarke on his left side.

The victory for the Campbellville-based team has made them $300 000 richer while GDF will have to be content with $150 000.

For placing third, Alpha will receive $75 000 while Fruta Conquerors will have to be satisfied with $50 000.

In an invited comment, Camptown coach and GFA president Troy Mendonca said the final was not as tough as was their quarter-final against Santos or the semi-final against Fruta Conquerors.

“We played a tactical game on Sunday night and the mere fact that it was not too robust we knew what we had to do” adding “we know GDF’s capabilities so we had to be tactical to nullify their other advantages which include their fitness level.”

Mendonca said his charges knew that they had to keep the ball on the ground because it was easier to get past the soldiers’ defence even if they (Camptown) were faced with a two-on-one or a two-on-two situation “and the guys did just that”.

Mendonca said he was elated with the victory since for the past year his team had reached many finals in the various competitions but could not get over the hurdle.

He added that from the beginning of the year his team has lost several key players owing to transfers or internal issues, but stated that “the young brigade was able to stick together and pull it off on Sunday night”.

He said for the remainder of the year Camptown will build on the foundation it started last year.

“We have a young team, so we have to keep drilling them and once we continue that mindset and get fitter, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with for quite a number of years,” Mendonca stated.

In the third place playoff, Elton Brown opened the scoring for Alpha in the 12th minute, but Jolyon Harry responded for Conquerors with a 32nd minute goal to level the score 1-1 and three minutes later, Harry’s team mate Devon Forde extended the lead to 2-1 which remained unchanged at the interval.

On resumption, sensing the morbid prangs of defeat, the former Kashif and Shanghai champions (Alpha) came out more determined and took the attack to the opposition and the tactics paid off four minutes into the session, as Howard Lowe found the equaliser in the 49th minute.

Despite being reduced to 10 men with 10 minutes remaining in regulation time through the expulsion of Abassy McPherson, Alpha, like Conquerors, held their own for the remainder of regulation and extra time and no other goals were scored, resulting in the penalty shoot-out which Alpha won by a 3-1 margin.

It was McPherson’s second red card for the tournament. He also received a yellow card in the semi-final against GDF.

The presentation of prizes to the winners will be done on a date to be announced.