… Caribbean United tackle Winners Connection tonight
REIGNING East Coast champions Victoria Kings and their counterparts Bakewell Buxton Stars were the latest two teams to advance to the quarter-finals of this year’s Kashif and Shanghai Football tournament after securing convincing wins at the Beterverwagting Community Centre ground on Wednesday night. In the opening game, the recently crowned East Demerara Football Association (EDFA) League champions outclassed Grove Hi-Tech 3-2 while Bakewell Buxton Stars edged the home side BV/Triumph United by the odd goal to nil.
Versatile striker Winston Pompey who netted a double for the eventual winners sent his team into the lead in the 17th minute after the dapper forward pounced on a loose ball that was spilled by Grove Hi-Tech custodian, to put the same into the back of the net via his chest.
Eight minutes later Pompey made it 2-0, after he collected a ball from Aubrey Gibson at the top of the 18-yard area and tactically volleyed it past the porous gloves of the Grove Hi-Tech custodian, who was a far cry from the performance he displayed in his team’s opening match.
Domini Garnett pulled one back for the East Bank Demerara team in the 41st minute, following a defensive error and at the end of the first half, the score line read 2-1 in favour of Kings.
Ten minutes into the second half and Grove Hi-Tech levelled the score, thanks to John Matthews’ strike, which came at the expense of the Victoria Kings custodian.
However, Sherlock Dowden ensured his team’s opponents would not see the next round of this year’s tournament, when he scored the winning goal in the 65th minute, following a well-taken corner kick from Gibson.
With the win, the Kings who had won this tournament 10 years ago, have advanced to the quarter-finals which will be played next Wednesday and will see them face the winner of the Christmas Day clash between Trinidad and Tobago’s Caledonia AIA and New Amsterdam United at the Blairmont ground .
In comparison to the first encounter, the second game of the evening was such a dull affair that most of the patrons, who were around to witness the first one, left the venue before the first half was completed.
Nevertheless, those who waited around, witnessed Bakewell Buxton Stars’ Jamaal George find the back of the net in the 55th minute, to hand his team an easy path into the final eight, where they would face Amelia’s Ward United next Wednesday at the GCC ground.
The tournament moves to Linden tonight where two-time winners Milerock will clash with Seawall United in the night’s feature game from 20:30hrs, while the opening contest which kicks off at 18:30hrs brings together Barbados’ Caribbean United and Winners Connection.
Milerock share a rich history in the Kashif and Shanghai tournament having won the inaugural staging of the event and their second in the 1997/98 tourney, but since then they have failed to even make it to the finals.
This year, coach Brian Joseph, a former national striker, has brought together some of the stars of yesteryear, blended with those of the future, to form an alliance that is a serious contender for the $4M first prize.
Former National skipper and ferocious defender Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard will team up with Randolph ‘Black Head’ Jerome, Carey Harris and 25-year-old Trinidadian striker Kendell Jagdeosingh who plays in the USA with Rochester Rhinos in the (USL-1) league just one tier below the MLS.
Little is known of Seawall, except that they have are responsible for the exit of five-time champions Bakewell Topp XX and as such are a good enough opponent to oppose a tough challenge.
Last year Caribbean United brought a depleted squad to Guyana and were easily devoured. This year on paper, some of Barbados’ top players are in the line-up to face the Linden team that would be led by Rawle ‘Boney’ Gittens.