Camptown too much for Liquid Gold
2008/09 Kashif and Shanghai champions Pele unveiled a cast that ‘wowed’ the packed Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground on Tuesday evening when they clashed with Fruta Conquerors as the 21st Kashif and Shanghai football tournament continued.
Pele would go on to win the contest 3-0 with a side that featured some of the country’s top players with the likes of strikers Devon Millington and Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, former national captain and defensive stalwart Charles ‘Lilly’ Pollard, attacking midfielders Kanata Manning and Shawn ‘Bubbly’ Beveney not to mention Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant and Dirk Archer jr.
It was the second match of the evening with Sunburst Camptown marching on to the next round following their 2-0 win of Bartica’s Liquid Gold and while fans were anticipating a barrage of goals from Pele based on the outfit of their team, Conquerors told a different story.

The first half totally belonged to the  SM Jaleel Company sponsored club who did it all but scored and that is thanks to some excellent defending by Pollard and a few death defying saves by their Tobago United keeper Sean Johnson.

United Petrotrin’s striker Vernon Mills, returning home and playing for his Fruta Conquerors club was like a thorn in the feet of the Pele defenders with only Pollard settling the busy forward.

As a matter of fact, Pele was so scrappy in the first half, even ‘Steve Wonder’ could have seen that their football was much disorganised.

But just as Conquerors were winning the hearts of the supporters for their muscling of Pele’s BIG team, Dillon Williams in the 44th minute brought down Millington in the 18 yard Box and referee Stanley ‘Shabba’ Lancaster had no choice but to sound his ‘Fox40’ and pointed to the penalty spot.

The kick was taken by Beveney who scored with ease but it was not worth a cheer by the Pele supporters, they wanted to see more as the first half ended 1-0.

However, things took a turn for the better as Pele’s ‘Jackie Chan’ and Millington begun to work in cohesion which created some problems for the Conquerors defence.

In the 62nd minute Millington first got on the score sheet thanks a soft and timely pass from Richardson that was sent pass the defenders and goal keeper of Conquerors leaving the always hungry striker to simply pat the ball in the goal.

Vernon Mills tried all he could playing upfront but coming up against Pollard who stood as a brick wall for him was his kryptonite since the diminutive striker just couldn’t past the feared defender.

Meanwhile, Richardson and his new found assassin Millington would collaborate once again and this time it was goal which said “take this out”.

It was the 80th minute with the play starting with Beveney breaking down the right wing using some fancy foot work to evade a few Conquerors defenders and found Richardson in the 18 yard box.
The Carolina Rail Hawk striker (Richardson) pondered on firing to goal but a few defenders came into his path and then displaying once again his unselfish nature, ‘lay the ball on a platter’ and it was Millington and ran in and blasted a ‘sonic’ like right foot shot that went flat and hard and pierced the net of the Conquerors’ goal.

“Ok that’s it, Pele win” uttered one patron as they exited the venue. With the win, Pele has moved on to play a new looking Santos FC on December 27 at the Guyana National Stadium.

Sunburst Camptown had a tough time getting pass Liquid Gold but it was a simple case of who wanted the win.

The Bartica team lacked mostly an offensive threat but their defending stood out. National Striker Nigel ‘Powers’ Codrington terrorized their defence on every chance given but they were able to stop him and when that wasn’t possible, the goal keeper would pull off some almost certain-goal saves.

The two sides ended the first half goal-less and Camptown through a penalty taken by Rishawn Sandiford in 62nd minute.

But Pedro Neto scored what is so far the goal of the tournament four minutes later to draw the score at a goal piece.

A free kick was won by Liquid Gold some 30 yards away from the goal and it was Neto who stepped up to take the kick. The Bartician ‘bend it like Beckham’; a shot which swerved around the Camptown defensive wall and went into the goal – giving the goal keeper no time to not even attempt a save.

Troy ‘Buggsy’ Prescott almost give his side the lead a few minutes later but his ripper was sweetly saved by the Liquid Gold keeper who injured his arm in the process.

Codrington would put the icing on the cake in a goal which seemed a little controversial. The striker racing down  the right flank placed a flat shot to goal that went into the goal but the liquid Gold players argued that the ball went through the hole in the net at the side of goal.

However, the referee signaled for goal, giving Camptown the 2-1 lead but the referee later explained that he was in a position to see the goal and it ‘beat’ the keeper by the first post and it was  legal.

The win puts Camptown against defending champions BK International Western Tigers also on December 27 at the Guyana national stadium.

The 21st Kashif and Shanghai football tournament will continue tonight at the McKenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden with Milerock playing old time rivals Netrockers in the curtain raiser from 18:00 h and then five time champions Bakewell Topp XX are down to face Caribbean United out of Barbados in the other fixture.