Den Amstel set up 2013 final rematch

IN football, a striker’s sole purpose on the pitch is to score goals – something Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams knows more than anything. In fact, the Slingerz FC forward has now scored seven goals in two matches for the club who acquired him during the last transfer window from Alpha United.Nicknamed ‘Awo’, Abrams scored a hat-trick on Sunday evening, to help guide Slingerz FC to a 6-0 win over Uitvlugt in the semi-finals of the 2014, Stag Beer/West Side Mashramani Champions Cup at the Uitvlugt Community Centre.
The win also means that fans on the West Side will see a rematch of the 2013 championship, after Den Amstel brushed aside Pouderoyen 3-2 in the other semi-final.
It was just his second game at the club and following his helmet-trick scoring performance in his first game, pundits were eager to see what his next performance would be like and Abrams certainly did not disappoint.
Pairing up once again with Devon Millington up front, Abrams gave Uitvlugt defenders a scare off the first touch from centre field when he received a flick from midfielder Deon Charter over the heads of the Uitvlugt players but the opposing custodian reacted fast enough to take the ball off his foot.
However, two minutes later, Abrams replicated his run, this time receiving a ball from Millington and using his superior speed he was able to reach the ball before the advancing goalkeeper and calmly placed it at the back of the net.
It was basically a one-sided affair with Slingerz controlling the position which saw Abrams score his second goal in the 23rd minute then set up Millington to score his only goal of the game in the 32nd minute.
Abrams rounded off his hat-trick performance five minutes later (37th minute) as Slingerz ended the first half 4-0.
Uitvlugt never put up much of a fight and Slingerz FC went on to score their other two goals from the boots of Clive De Nobrega (55th minute) and Olvis Mitchell (83rd minute).
The night’s opening game was nothing much to cheer about, though the score line would reflect differently.
Den Amstel were able to register the game’s first goal in the 11th minute through Jeffrey Perreira and doubled the lead in the 16th minute when Delon Lanfeman scored from the penalty spot.
Lanfeman extended the lead seven minutes later when he scored his second goal of the game as Den Amstel ended the first half 3-1 after Delon Josiah scored for Pouderoyen in the 32nd minute.
Referee Stanley Lancaster handed out the second penalty of the game just twelve minutes into the second half and Josiah stepped up and scored his second goal but his one-man army style on the pitch didn’t pay off for Pouderoyen who will now have to settle for the third and fourth-place playoff against Uitvlugt.

The finals will be played on Saturday at the same venue and fans would be eager to see if Den Amstel could avenge the 3-0 loss in last year’s final, to upset the tournament’s hosts and claim the $500 000 first prize.