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Alpha continue to lead National League
Wilson double see Topp XX pass Kings
Shawn Bishop
By Edison Jefford
Premier League Champions, Alpha United solidified their stay at the top of the points table in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and FIFA ‘Win in CONCACAF with CONCACAF’ National League with a superb win against Milerock FC Sunday night.
Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United pounded in two second-half goals to trudge away with a 2-0 victory at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, Linden. Guyana’s Golden Jaguar, Shawn Bishop scored in the 58th minute while Leon Grumble netted in the 61st minute.
The win kept Alpha on top of the National League with 11 points and it was their second straight last-half triumph after overcoming Topp XX 4-1, scoring all their goals in the second half of that game last weekend at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground.
Kaieteur Sport asked Alpha’s Head Coach, Clifton Bobb if it is a new offensive strategy they are developing and he said that winning consecutive games in the last half was not deliberate but can be attributed to the team’s rigorous playing schedule.
“We are tired, really tired; we had little rest between games this weekend and our scoring line are not here.
Jamie Wilson
We lost Eddie (Edison) Gomes and Dwight Peters with injuries so we had to improvise but the bottom line is that we are tired,” Bobb informed.
Alpha had defended their Premier League Championship title with a win Friday night against Camptown.
Milerock and Alpha played to a nil-all stalemate in the first half of Sunday’s game before Bishop finished an acrobatic shot from the left side of the 18-yard box of the western goal. It was a mark that came off a rebound that keeper Jamal Forde squandered.
Three minutes later, Grumble fired a long attempt from the right wing over a wall and Forde was lured forward before the ball eluded him due to a surprise bounce over his head to score. It was unfortunate and unusual but nevertheless a welcome development for Alpha.
The teams initiated the game with keen aggression that crisp midfield passes supported. Milerock had their cleanest chance early in the first half when Kevin Layne threw away his team’s one-one opportunity because of his indecision with the football.
Then Marlon Maxius fired a flat open shot to the right goalpost off a thru-pass but the attempt at goal was easily scooped up. Alpha’s keeper, Ronson Williams was surprisingly in placed in front of the firing squad in the first half hour of the game.
Milerock continued to press for an advantage when Steve Brewley raced down the right wing off a midfield pass and fired a long shot that Williams easily retrieved. Those three attempts were on the money and the closest Milerock came to scoring.
The ball was given back to midfield after Brewley’s attempt and found itself on the skilful instep of Andrew Murray Jr., who dribbled his way pass all Milerock’s defenders and crossed to Bishop in the 18-yard box for an open shot that hit the top bar.
The powerful shot from Bishop had “goal” written all over it but the ball ricocheted from the top bar to the ground before finding the hands of Forde. It was a welcomed opportunity for Alpha in the first half after Milerock had taken more scoring attempts.
As if Alpha was not already having a bad first half by their standards, Quincy Madramootoo was hit with a straight red card in the 37th minute for violent conduct after he came down on the head of a Milerock player with his elbow. He will miss two games.
Alpha was forced to prove in the second half that the absence of Madramootoo would not affect the final outcome of the game. They did that with two early goals in the second half that finished the game since Milerock was unable to substantially respond.
Meanwhile, Topp XX handed Victoria Kings a 3-0 whipping in the opening game of the double-header Sunday night when Delon McCallister scored in the 31st minute and Jamie Wilson added a double in the 35th and 44th minutes respectively in the game.
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