Reigning Kashif and Shangai champions Pele and former champions Alpha United set up a date with each other, when they won their opening matches over BK International Western Tigers and Victoria Kings in the second annual Bakewell Buxton Stars-organized Mackeson Stout/Digicel-sponsored Sweet 16 football tournament at the Plaisance Community Centre ground on Saturday night.
According to reports, Alpha “The Hammer” United who were the 2007/08 Kashif and Shangai champions and had recently represented Guyana in the CONCACAF Club championships with little success, had to come from a goal down to defeat Victoria Kings on penalty kicks, while Pele outplayed the Tigers.
When Alpha’s custodian Ronson Williams who was later given a red card by referee Wayne Griffith for unsportsmanlike conduct, failed to hold onto a shot from Calvin De Souza of Victoria Kings, Andrew Holder found himself in the perfect position at the right time to fire home the loose ball and give his team the lead in the 17th minute.
They held onto same right through the first half, despite relentless pressure from “The Hammer’s” forward line, until Edison Gomes pulled one back for the eventual victors in the 67th minute, following a goal mouth scrimmage, as Victoria’s defence found it difficult to get the ball away.
Regulation and extra time failed to provide a winner in this encounter, wherein Williams was given the direct red card by Griffith after he was substituted for Shawn Johnson in the final minute of extra time.
Good judgment by the Alpha coaching staff prevailed as they were able to triumph 4-2 on penalty kicks, to advance to the next round of the tournament.
In the feature match of the third night of the competition which has a winners’ purse of $600,000, Pele who defeated Sunburst Camptown on New Year’s day to win their first ever Kashif and Shanghai tournament, needled their West Ruimveldt-based opponents, but not before outplaying them on a windy night.
Prior to Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant finding the back of the net for Pele, BK International Western Tigers’ striker Devon Millington had an opportunity to send his team ahead, but his shot from inside the box went wide of the goal, thus causing no harm to Shemroy Arthur in the uprights for Pele.
However, Grant did not show any mercy to the Tigers’ custodian, when he found the back of the net six minutes before the lemon time whistle of referee Roy Arthur sounded, a lead Pele who completely outplayed their opponents, held onto to set up their match with Alpha on Saturday at the same venue.
The final set of matches to complete the first round will kick off tomorrow at the same venue, with Cougars of Berbice taking on the home team Plaisance United from 1800hrs, whilst tournament host Bakewell Buxton Stars and Georgetown Football Club (GFC) will meet in the feature match from 2000hrs.
