Fruta Conquerors dismiss Blackheart/Dennery
-new Kashif and Shanghai champs
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
January 3, 2005
Fruta Conquerors saved the best for last and turned in an aggressive team effort, to walk away with the 15th annual Kashif and Shanghai knockout title after a comprehensive 4-1 whipping of St Lucian Blackheart/Dennery in the finals at the MSC ground yesterday.
Spurred on by thousands of supporters, which included His Excellency, President Bharrat Jagdeo, Conquerors grabbed their second Kashif and Shanghai title through sublime attacking, stout defending and a gravity defying goalkeeper named Sean Johnson.
Conquerors were declared the champions following a double from striker Anthony `Awo' Abrams and strikes from captain Elroy Parks and midfielder Neil Hernandez.
For their efforts, the Georgetown-based team walked away with the $700,000 first prize and $100,000 donated by Dreamworks Developments Inc..
They also made sure that the Kashif and Shanghai title remained in the capital city, as Camptown won it last year.
In front of a crowd of approximately ten thousand, Conquerors started tentatively but slowly gained control over the St Lucians who, in the latter stages of the game, seemed at a loss to find an answer for the assaults.
"We never took any team lightly. We expected stiff competition from all our opponents. We prepared well, and that's why we are the champions," an ecstatic Conquerors' coach, Kurt Cadogan, said after the victory.
"Football is preparation, and if you are not physically fit you cannot compete at the highest level. Thanks to the Almighty, we were able to compete, and we won," Cadogan added.
Abrams and fellow striker Dexter `Dribbler' Bentick created havoc among the St Lucians throughout the duration of the game.
One of Abrams' frequent assaults resulted in the dapper striker being fouled in the box and referee Dianne James awarding a penalty in the 40th minute.
Guest player Jermaine Brown, who enjoyed a good game at midfield, bungled the chance to send the home team into the lead from the penalty mark, but his error was nullified by Parks three minutes later.
Collecting a free kick from Hernandez, Parks put in a neat kick, which scored at the police station end to earn $50,000, also donated by Dreamworks Development Inc., for the first player from the home side to score.
The goal brought President Jagdeo, Georgetown Football League president Odinga Lumumba, Carib Cash boss Keith Brotherson, and other dignitaries seated in the VIP section, to their feet.
Some spectators used the occasion to indiscriminately fire off squibs, rockets and firecrackers on the field of play, forcing the referee to momentarily halt the game to allow the thick smoke to clear.
Conquerors, who first won the crown in 2002 following a 1-0 win over Western Tigers, continued their dominance in the second half in which Browne came down the right to offer a pass to Abrams, who sent in a long ball which beat goalkeeper Danny Mitchell, in the 56th minute which again resulted in the arena being engulfed in smoke as squibs, firecrackers and rockets were hurled onto the field.
Abrams won a cell phone, compliments of Cellink, for the goal. Hernandez, a national midfielder, got into the goal shout in the 78th minute, and carried the score to 3-0 with a solo run on the right which ended with a powerful right-foot shot that proved too hot for Mitchell to handle.
The St Lucians, seeking to become the second foreign team to win the competition since Trinidad's Doc's Khelwaalas in 1999, earned the consolation goal when Shevon Edwards capitalised on a mix up in the defence to strike, one minute after Hernandez scored. Abrams returned to complete his double on the stroke of regulation time, and led the victory lap that ensued. "My goalkeeper stood out brilliantly. He did so throughout the tournament and didn't let us down this evening. We worked hard and deserve to win this tournament," Conquerors' coach declared.
Blackheart/Dennery took home $350,000 for placing second. In an invited comment Keith Brotherson, a former national selectee who is eyeing a return to sponsoring football, congratulated Conquerors. Brotherson said that Conquerors started slowly but showed character in overcoming the St Lucian side.
"What we saw here is a team that had the will not to lose. They represented Guyana in a fine way and must be congratulated. Their left wing had so much pace, and the goalkeeper was excellent. He helped change the complexion of the game early in the first half," Brotherson said.
In one of two supporting games, CariAir Western Tigers defeated Eagles United 3-1 in a $150,000 winner-take-all affair. National captain Shawn Beveney scored a hatrick of goals to take the Tigers home.
Renrick `Chief' Hutson netted for Eagles. In the other supporting game Kwakwani edged out Metro Stars 1-0 in a youth affair.