Jorsling and Gay fire Caledonia AIA to K&S Trophy win
… Trinidadians also cop one pound of gold
TRINIDAD and Tobago’s Pro-League club Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA eclipsed Pele F.C two goals to nil on New Year’s night to hoist the Championship trophy of the 22nd Kashif and Shanghai Football Tournament when the two met in the final at the Guyana National Stadium.
Devon Jorsling and Jamaal Gay were the two marksmen responsible for Caledonia AIA’s emphatic victory as they became the third team from Trinidad and Tobago to win the tournament following in the footsteps of Doc’s Khelawaas (1998) and Joe Public (2006).
In the third place game, former national striker Randolph ‘Black Head’ Jerome and Randy Small scored in the 60th and 68th minutes respectively to propel CBR Mining Milerock to a 2-0 win over Amelia’s Ward United.
Caledonia AIA came to Guyana with one thing on their mind – to avenge their country’s loss to Guyana in the World Cup Qualifiers where the Golden Jaguars were responsible for derailing the Soca Warriors from the road to Brazil 2014.
A ‘revenge mission’ it was called by the players who were more focused on returning some pride to their country rather than wanting to feast on the attractive first prize of one pound of gold.
They (Caledonia), even before the start of the tournament, called out Pele and the Guyanese club didn’t back down and expressed their will to face the Trinidad and Tobago Pro-League club in the finals.
Both sides were evenly destructive in their march to the finals having amassed 16 goals each from their three matches played.
But the final really separated the ‘boys’ from ‘men’ and who are professionals and who are not. Some of Caledonia AIA players play the game as a means of earning a living while Pele had players who play as a pastime and only when tournaments are organised.
The two sides played to a goalless first half with the ‘Trinis’ pushing Pele on the defensive side of the game in the initial stages.
Gay, who finished the tournament with seven goals, was the main target for Coach Travis Mulraine in his offensive plot as he utilised the well built 6’ 3” striker’s height-advantage on the Pele’s defence as he gave Pele’s Shemroy Arthur a busy night between the uprights.
Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson was his usual self but was contained by the Caledonia defenders. However, Had Richardson received good support upfront from Devon Millington and company, things would’ve been different. Nonetheless, they entertained the crowd at the National Stadium in the first half much to their desire.
After the two sides came out of their dressing rooms for the start of the second half, both looked to exercise what was discussed behind closed doors as the game shifted in momentum.
No real chances were taken by Pele in the second as the Trinidadian club clearly dominated. Gay took a shot to goal that was too strong for Arthur to hold on to, leaving the hungry Jorsling to blast one in to give Caledonia the lead in the 74th minute.
The 22-year-old Gay who now plays his football in Turkey with Dardanel Spor A.Ş after going on loan from German club Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, scored his seventh goal in the tournament in the 83rd minute, when he slammed in a powerful right-foot volley with a pass coming from Tryon Bobb at the top of the 18 yards area.
Pele found it very hard to get around the brickwall-like defence that was set up by Caledonia, given the fact that they were playing without Walter Moore and midfield player Abdulla Phillips since they were both red-carded during their 3-1 win over Milerock.
For the win, Caledonia AIA go home with the one pound of gold first prize, compliments of Arowai Mining Enterprise as well as the Ansa McAl Trading trophy.