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Namilco Football Festival
Alpha nail Camptown 3-1, to play Western Tigers
in final
We did it!!! Goal scorers L-R, Gordon Henry, Anthony Abrams, Elton Browne.
By Franklin Wilson
Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United has proved again that Sunburst Camptown will have to wait a while longer to get the better of them at the competitive level.
The Hammer fell on Camptown in extra time as the Alpha boys booked their place in the final of the 2008 Namilco Football Festival with a come from behind 3-1 win before a large crowd at the Tucville ground on Sunday evening.
Buxton United blanked Fruta Conquerors in the supporting under-21 match 2-0, goals scored in either half by Orson Washington (7) and Denver Dennis (64).
Fans were bracing for a thriller in the Alpha/Camptown semi-final which was ordered replayed by the Guyana Football Federation following its abandonment on Friday November 7 due to black out and technical difficulties with the lighting panel at the venue.
The action was fast paced between two of the better sides in Guyana as they went at each other relentlessly, picking up from where they left off two weeks ago.
Camptown, though, enjoyed the better of the exchanges in the opening minutes with a few chances created along the way.
Leading striker Nigel ‘Powers’ Codrington had the measure of Alpha’s defence in tandem with strike partner Mervin Joseph. And after a few near misses from both sides moreso Camptown, the Campbellville based Camptown was finally able to break the seal in the 31st minute.
Their most experienced campaigner and inspirational midfielder Troy ‘Bugs’ Prescod lobbed a well taken pass over the defence for Codrington who outran his rivals to slot the ball past the advancing Ronson Williams in goal.
The advantage of Camptown did not dampen the spirits of Alpha in any way as they continued to match the opposition.
Shawn Bishop came close to equalising for Alpha five minutes before the half when he received a pass in the box but it was to his weak side (right foot) and he sent the ball way past the right upright. The score line was unchanged when half time whistle was sounded.
The second half was no different with the intensity of the game being maintained. Joseph went way over the cross bar with a header from close range and Alpha missed three times (rebound shots) following another good move, Camptown’s goalie Maurice Prince and the defence standing up strong to keep Alpha at bay.
With the time ticking away and Alpha’s Anthony Abrams and Elton Browne unable to penetrate the opposition’s defence the tension continued to build with the fans at the edges of their seats.
Alpha though, to their credit, never gave up and enjoyed a very good 15 minute period from about the 70th minute. It was during this critical rime that they leveled the score.
Nigel Codrington (left) on the go for Camptown. Alpha
Camptown were playing with danger as they employed some questionable delaying tactics which turned out to hurt them in the end.
With five minutes to full time, captain and defender Orlando Gilgeous and goalie Prince had a bad foul up which resulted in the ball spilling away from their path for the alert Elton Browne who blasted it into the open goal.
That equaliser virtually knocked the wind out of the sails of Camptown as they were outhustled in the 30 minutes of extra time that was needed to decide the winner after the 1-1 regulation time score.
Alpha’s superior focus at the death came to the fore with two unanswered goals.
Second half substitute Gordon Henry five minutes into the first period of extra time chested the ball into goal after the ball went through the hands of Prince from a Bishop 25 metre free kick. Eleven minutes on, the pace of Abrams finally took its tool on the defence.
Prince again, rather than attacking a ball coming his way to clear it with Abrams hounding down the defence, waited on the ball to bounce and by that time, the nippy Abrams glided past Gilgeous and company including Prince to calmly touch the ball into the open goal, crowning a courageous come back by Alpha after Camptown held the upper hand for most of the 90 minutes of regulation time.
The scene is now set for mouth watering final on November 30 at the National Stadium between Alpha and BK International Western Tigers, who after being relegated to division one, are on their way back to the Premier League ranks.
Camptown and Fruta Conquerors, who lost to the Tigers in the other semi-final 1-0, will meet in the third place game which would precede the final. Fans can brace themselves for a grand end to the 2008 edition of the Namilco Football Festival.
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