Linden’s Milerock FC create history to  advance to second  round
A LETHAL strike by veteran striker Collie ‘Hit-man’ Hercules and another by substitute youth national defender Ryan Crandon catapulted Guyana’s Milerock FC into the second round of the Caribbean Football Union’s Club championship last Saturday night when they scored a 2-1 win over host team Inter Moenga Tope, in a return leg at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Upper Demerara’s top football club, who lost their home tie 1-0 the previous Sunday, advanced by virtue of their two away goals, despite an on-field 2-2 aggregate, and now will meet the Defence Force of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Linden-based unit travelled to Suriname knowing the history of club teams from the mining town who all failed to get past the first round in three previous tries against their Dutch counterparts.
This time, Milerock broke the jinx as they prevailed in dominant fashion to stun the number two club of the former Dutch colony.
In fact, while several nationals had predicted a clear-cut win, some predicted a 8-0 win in this return fixture.
Milerock’s head coach Bryan Joseph said he was always confident that his team would advance, judging from their first game at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, where his side played to the level of their opponents, only to lose in the end by a narrow 1-0 score line.
In the decisive return leg, the Linden side had two early misses where they should have gone up by a 2-0 margin within the first three minutes of play, with former National midfielder Kayode McKinnon, on both occasions, unable to net from close range.
Within two minutes the Guyanese side found the target after they dominated the proceedings early as ‘Hitman’ Hercules opened the scoring to give Milerock the initiative.
Milerock continued their dominance and Inter Moenga Tope, playing with their owner Ronny Brunswick in the line-up, failed to make inroads as an expectant small crowd looked on in amazement. Brunswick was eventually substituted in the 60th minute to an ovation but his side failed to impress.
Second-half substitute, national U-20 central defender Ryan Crandon who came into the game in the 68th minute for Deon Dennis came through to score in the 75th minute and gave his side the timely cushion needed to access a safe passage into the next round.
Inter Moenga Tope tried their best but Milerock outclassed them in almost every department.
While the Surinamese were able to reduce the lead with a goal three minutes into added time it was not enough to eliminate the Guyanese side who, by virtue of the two away goals scored, move onto the next phase.
Coach Joseph told Chronicle Sport in a post-game interview, “It’s reinvigorating for football in Linden, and it’s a piece of history that has just been created by a Linden team – qualifying to the 2nd round of a CFU Club tournament.
“It has never happened so we have just created some history and we are totally ecstatic about it. We knew that the favour of God was upon us and that we couldn’t lose. We played hard and all praises to God.
“It was a very inspiring team effort. I think on the day of the game and before, we spoke to the players a lot and inspired them. I am confident we were the better team and we should have won the game in Guyana.”
Former rebel leader and politician, Ronny Brunswick, who manages the Inter Moenga Tope Football Club and is a member of the  country’s current administration, led by President Desi Bouterse, was gracious in defeat saying that the better team won. He even handed over the game ball to coach Bryan Joseph after the match ended.