Topp XX advantage Silver Shatters
Camptown scrape ahead of All Stars
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
December 30, 2003
National mid-fielder Kayode McKinnon (right) and a player from Silver Shatters wait for the ball to descend during the supporting game of Sunday's double-header card at the Camptown ground. (photo by Lawrence Fanfair)
Bakewell Topp XX and Camptown Football Club arrived at the final of the 14th Kashif and Shanghai knockout football competition but via two completely different routes.
At the Camptown ground on Sunday, the star-studded Topp XX team dulled the hopes of Silver Shatters with a 4-0 humbling while Camptown struggled in order to edge Kashif and Shanghai All Stars 4-3 in a semi-final game decided by kicks from the penalty mark.
In the feature game Camptown and the All Stars engaged in a ding-dong tussle with neither side giving in.
In front of another sell-out crowd the host team never looked the well-oiled machine that steamrolled Eagles United 5-1 and Net Rockers 4-0."We have to do better in the midfield," Camptown's coach Desmond Alfred said after watching his team squeeze through to the final. "The All Star Team played a very good game. I think that this match brought our team back to ground zero," Alfred said. "We have been beating teams 5-1 and 4-0 and this one ended 1-1 at the end of regulation time."
After a goalless first half which produced scares for both teams the All Star team went into the lead late in the second segment. In what is arguably the most bizarre goal to be scored in the tournament this year Camptown's goalkeeper ,Marlon Hendricks went down to collect the ball that was slowly rolling towards him.
However, Hendricks failed on two attempts to scoop up the ball which gave Edison Gomes enough time to go on to guide the ball into the net in the 75th minute.
Camptown equalised five minutes later when Nigel Codrington ran through the defence and let loose a right-footer which hit the target. Early in extra time Camptown lost striker Elton Browne
to the dreaded red card. Hendricks, Jonathan Peters, Leslie Holligan and captain Troy Prescod scored from the penalty spot for Camptown. Codrington missed.
"I expect a very tough game from Topp XX.It will be a good game," Alfred predicted. In the supporting game guest striker Anthony 'Awo' Abrams fired in a double to help Topp XX to a 4-0 win over Silver Shatters. Abrams found the net in the 7th and 45th minutes as Topp XX took advantage of their fellow Linden team.
Former national striker Collie `Hitman' Hercules scored his first goal of the tournament in the 61st minute while Cary Harris carried his tally of goals to three when he struck two minutes from regulation time.
Topp XX, a four-time champion will tackle Camptown in the finals scheduled for the MSC ground on Thursday. Silver Shatters and the All Star team meet in the third-place play-off.
The first prize is $600,000.