K&S football…
Camptown, BV United gain victories
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
December 21, 2003
WITH three goals in three minutes, one-time champions Camptown sent a strong signal for a second possible title of the Christmas Football Festival, staged by the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation, with a 5-1 routing of the Eagles United at Camptown ground, Friday night.
And in the first match of the double header, BV/Triumph United disposed of Golden Stars (3-1) who filled the slot for the Trinidad & Tobago professional team Courts Caledonia that pulled out because of domestic commitments.
Camptown played as a team yet National Under-23 strikers Gregory Richardson and Elton Brown were outstanding, with Brown hitting a double and one each coming from Richardson, Leslie Holligan and Nigel Codrington. The consolation for Eagles United came from Selwyn Isaacs.
Holligan was the first to find the net when the match was just 12 minutes old. In a wave attack, Holligan collected the ball on the right wing, drew the goalkeeper and sent a right foot shot to the last post, beating the goalkeeper.
Shortly after, Camptown were in the net again but the goal was disallowed with an offside call.
The 1993 champions continued attacking and in the 24th minute, Richardson put Camptown 2-0 up. From a build-up consisting of good passing around the whole field of play, Richardson at right, received a pass from the centre, and sent a bullet-like shot from outside the edge of the box, rocking the net with authority.
Three minutes later, Brown received a centre, broke away with a defence player hot on his heels, sent a powerful but goalkeeper Aubrey Thomas got a touch to deflect the ball for the first corner of the game.
However, Camptown became sloppy and the 1991 champions capitalised on the complacency to pull one back in the 31st minute. A striker slipped through the defence and goalkeeper Marlon Hendricks advanced, intercepting the first shot. He kicked out the ball into play, but had not got back in the goal when Isaacs collected the ball and shot. Hendricks got a touch but could not deflect the ball away from the goal.
Just before the halftime whistle, Camptown attacked down the centre, and Brown on the left received a nice pass, but his shot was saved by Thomas. At the break, Camptown led 2-1.
Camptown still looked sloppy at the resumption, with only Richardson working up a storm in the forward position. Eight minutes in, he carried the ball down the left wing, crossed beautifully, but Codrington patted the ball outside the left post from metres out.
Shortly after, Eagles reached the box, but the shot went outside the left post.
That seemed to re-ignite Camptown and they began to put together some nice passes. In the 59th minute, National Under-23 midfielder Jonathan Peters changed play from the right wing to the left, from where the ball passed to Brown just inside the box and he sent a controlled shot to the net.
One minute later, Brown was again in the net. At the top of the box, he collected the ball from a right wing pass, using his head to steer it in front of him and in one smooth motion shot on the run for a spectacular goal.
Only one more minute elapsed and Camptown were again in the net. After several passes outside the box, a mix-up ensued and Codrington slotted the ball for the fifth goal and they repeated the victory over Eagles when they met in the 1993 final.
Camptown will now meet Netrockers in the quarterfinals on Christmas Day at the Blairmont Community Centre ground.
Earlier, National Under-17 and Under-23 striker Dwight Peters struck twice for BV/Triumph United, while fellow Olympian Jerome Richardson put in the other goal. Orin Adonis produced the consolation for Golden Stars from the penalty spot.
Peters tucked in the first goal in the 37th minute and BV/Triumph United led 1-0, at halftime.
Seven minutes after the resumption, Peters was again in the net and just when it appeared that the match heading for 2-0 win for BV/Triumph, Adonis pulled one back for Golden Stars to keep their hopes alive in the 86th minute. Richardson sealed victory in the 88th minute.
BV/Triumph United will next clash with the winners of the Uitvlugt All Stars and Kashif & Shanghai All Stars, in the quarterfinals on Boxing Day in Linden.