By Calvin Roberts
The action was intense, the pace was hot and the goals were sweet.
The activity was the final of the Ansa Mc Al/Digicel-sponsored Bakewell Buxton United Sweet 16 football competition, the place was the Plaisance Community Centre ground and the time was Monday night.
And, true to their president Troy Mendonca’s prediction, Sunburst Camptown turned up the heat to run out deserving 2-0 winners over the Guyana Defence Force in the inaugural competition.
In the third-place play-off, BK International Western Tigers, led by a double strike from Gavin Wilson, overcame a strong challenge from Plaisance United to triumph 2-1 in an encounter that could have gone either way.
It was evident from the opening whistle that the team which displayed the greater hunger to win would cart off the $300,000 first prize and the Continental Group of Companies-sponsored Campbelville-based team was like a tiger on the prowl.
Their strikers Marvin Joseph and Telson Mc Kinnon, ably assisted by the hard-working Dexter Mollyneaux in midfield, made life difficult for the army boys who must have thought they were on a battle field instead of on a football field.
Thus it came as no surprise when the opening goal was scored after just three minutes with Joseph running onto a through pass from Mollyneaux which he easily placed to the right of the army’s custodian Keith Fraser.
The goal was a wake-up call for the GDF players who could consider themselves rather unfortunate not to have equalized two minutes later when a Seon Brewley shot just missed the uprights with Camptown’s custodian Maurice Prince out of position.
Camptown continued to attack and in the 26th minute Reshawn Sandiford eluded Harris but sent his shot high over the crossbar with only Fraser to beat.
Two minutes later, Sandiford received a gem of a pass from overlapping right back Tito Adams and, after controlling the ball nicely off his chest, he made his way into the 18-yard box but was unable to get a shot off.
Camptown continued to attack but the GDF defence led by Adams, Devon Dummette and Orlando Gilgeous maintained a tight lid on Stellon David and Warren Gilkes up front.
Camptown scored again in the 38th minute when Lance Rolston, who was enjoying a splendid game, calmly placed the ball at the back of the net following a goal mouth scrimmage from a corner.
At lemon time, the score line remained unchanged with Camptown leading 2-0.
The second half was just as intense with the army team looking to reduce the lead.
Camptown won a free kick just at the top of the 18-yard box in the eighth minute but the subsequent free kick taken by Mc Kinnon was saved by Fraser.
At the other end, GDF’s Royan Morrison sent a ball across Camptown’s goal mouth but Prince was equal to the task taking it before David could head the ball home.
Prince proved his worth five minutes later when he intercepted an intended pass to Brewley from Keith Blackman and, when David sent a low free kick from the halfway line he made the save look like he was taking candy from a child.
The GDF was unable to score even when Camptown were reduced to 10 men in the 68th minute following the ejection of Prescod who received his second yellow card of the game from Dianne Ferreira James.
In a last ditch move, the GDF team moved Sheik Kamal from a defensive midfield position to an attacking midfield, a role he is accustomed to playing, but they were still unable to penetrate their opponents’ defence and when they did, Prince was another hurdle to cross.
Eventually Ferreira-James’ whistle sounded signalling the end of a one-sided contest that increased Camp-town’s piggy bank by $300,000 whilst the army boys settled for the second-place prize of $150,000.
In the third-place playoff, a weakened looking BK International Western Tigers side, minus prolific striker Devon Millington, had to work overtime to prevent Plaisance from executing their comeback fully before escaping with a 2-1 win to claim the third place prize of $75,000.
With no Millington suiting up for his team following his expulsion in their semi final game against the GDF, Western Tigers had to look to someone else to get their goals.
They found Wilson.
Wilson sent his team into the lead in the 33rd minute when he received a through ball from Phillip Rowley and calmly placed it over the head of an advancing Shawn Forde in goal.
The East Coast team, however continued with their never-say-die attitude despite being down by a goal and eventually got the equalizer in the 38th minute when Maurice Young sent a perfect pass into the Tigers’ 18-yard box and with custodian Rolex Scott unable to gather cleanly, Tremaine Moses calmly placed the ball at the back of the net.
At lemon time, the scores were level and the Tigers came out on the prowl in search of the go ahead goal.
They should have gotten such in the 60th minute, but for Wilson who chose to over dribble the ball instead of shooting and when he did get his shot off, it was a feeble one which Forde saved with the greatest of ease.
Two minutes later, himself and Rowley were faced with a two on one situation with Forde but instead of executing the traditional one-two play with his partner, Wilson opted to take the ball to Forde who kept his nerve and took the ball off his feet.
He made amends one minute later when he beat Forde with a well-placed shot to send his team into the lead. Scott was forced to make a save from Moses shortly after but at the final whistle, the score line remained un-changed 2-1 in favour of BK International Western Tigers.
The presentation of prizes will be done on Friday at the offices of sponsors Ansa Mc Al Limited, Betervervagting, East Coast Demerara.
