BK International Western Tigers clawed five-time champions Bakewell
Topp XX by a slim 2-1 margin on Saturday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, to march into the semi-final of the 20th edition of the Kashif and Shanghai Football tournament.

The result ended all hopes the bauxite mining team had of advancing further after getting

past fellow Linden side Net Rockers in their previous game, meaning that none of the Linden teams advanced.

Playing in front of a good crowd that had eventually built up for the lone quarterfinal fixture, the Tigers seemed focused on their prey from early as the 7th minute when they showed their intent as Dwayne Alli first had a good shot saved by the Topp XX’s goal keeper Richard Reynolds.

One minute later, Devon Millington sent one just over the cross bar, causing oohs from the fans who had now placed all their hopes, once again on the former champions to progress.

Topp XX did respond to the challenge and one such raid saw the Tigers’ custodian Derrick Carter failing to gather properly as Collie ‘Hitman’ Hercules raided-in to bang a shot which Carter parried out.

The rebound was then collected and scored by one of three Topp XX players who were adjudged to be in an off-side position by assistant referee Cinnette Jeffrey.

Jeffrey had immediately raised her flag after the ball was hit into the net, causing referee Sttanley Lancaster rightly to blow for goal kick,

Then in the 37th minute the Tigers showed their grit and determination with their positive thrust forward when a bicycle kick was well taken but Reynolds was in place to bring off a save.

The roaring Tigers got their reward three minutes later when in the 40th minute a ball was played inside right, and excellent ball movement resulted in a squared ball which found Phillip Roweley against a dazed Topp XX defence.

Rowley quickly  planted a shot, sending the ball low away from the hands of Reynolds, who apparently was blinded by the quick change of play, beating his own reflexes in

the process for an important 1-0 lead five minutes from half time.

The second half did see some improvement in the Topp XX approach, but Tigers had caught their momentum and were up to the task at hand against the eight-time finalists from the mining town.

Hercules was there to level the scores for his team as he once again demonstrated that with a little space he can make a difference.

Collecting a pass in the middle Hercules turned on his marker going right before pulling up to unleash a rasping right foot shot which zoomed from just on top the 18-yard box to crash into the net before Tigers’ custodian Carter could have imagined what had flashed past him in goal.

Within three minutes of that equalizer, Devon Millington, who had been tormenting the Topp XX defense was there to pounce on a misdirected pass from Topp XX defender Ruel Telford who committed the ‘cardinal sin,’ attempting under pressure to pass back to goal keeper Reynolds.

Milltington read the release and intercepted to nudge the ball into the goal and dented the hopes of a town.

Try as they would, both teams could not come up with more goals and the Tigers advanced to join the final four teams in semi-final.