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Western Tigers roar and Winners Connection connect into next round
By Michael Benjamin
The tournament had its genesis as a four-team scrubby and meticulous planning and shrewd organisation
Anthony Abrams
over the preceding years saw it blossoming to a gigantic spectacle. That was 25 years ago and residents of Linden reminisced on those inaugural days of steamy duels when the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament returned to its original home, the Mackenzie Sports Complex, last Monday evening.
A fair sized crowd witnessed Western Tigers needle Hi Stars in the first game to the Winners Connection/Ann’s Grove shindig where the former team sent the latter packing 2-0. Anthony Abrams sent the ‘Tigers’ ahead with a pinpoint strike in the 17th minute while Rawle Gittens (18) and Rene Gibbons (83) were the architects of Winners Connection ’s victory.
Ann’s Grove was gifted a spot in the tournament after the Guyana Defence Force opted out to participate in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship. This, coupled with their good showing in the just concluded Mayor’s Cup Football Championship where they had advanced to the quarter finals stage, gives the East Coast team a fighting chance.
Gibbons sounded his presence from the first whistle when he evaded Ann’s Grove’s defence and tested their goalie with a stinger which the latter individual did well to hold on to. Persistency seemed to be Gibbons’ mantra and when he made a similar breakthrough during the early exchanges, his right footed shot, a slanted one from the left flank, spelled goal from the time it was executed.
The team from the East Coast upped their game somewhat and their custodian, Joel Samuels, should have taken a bow after plunging to his left to punch out a sharp shot by one of the opposition’s strikers.
Otherwise, the first session was a contest of wits and skill as Ann’s Grove attempted to equalize and Winner’s Connection hustling to widen the advantage, all to no avail. The exchanges in the initial stage of the second session were furious and fast but in most cases were thwarted by staunch defensive tactics and at times, clever offensive ploys by both units.
As the game wound down, Ann’s Grove started to lag even as the opposition’s coach wrung in the changes. The ploy worked when Gibbons collected a pass in front of Ann’s Grove goal and sent in a fierce kick that sped past its custodian while threatening to burst through the network. That success seemed to have drained the boys from Ann’s Grove and their shoulders drooped as the minutes whittled away into seconds to the final whistle.
Winners Connection will look to extend its winning streak when it tangles with Pele this Saturday at the Demerara Cricket Club ground. Western Tigers started their trek at a terrific pace and raided the opposition’s territory albeit unsuccessfully as the Hi Stars defenders proved a fortress.
Abrams’ success started an onslaught as the ‘Tigers’ smelt blood but despite valiant efforts from Phillip Rowley, Deron Benjamin and Joshua Britton the’ Tigers’ could not put the finishing touches and had to be content with Abrams’ early success.
In between, Dereck Carter was awesome between the uprights and held on to an especially ferocious strike by Julian Allicock. Hi Stars striker, Jason Cobena, made a last ditch effort about 5 minutes to the final whistle but Carter was at the top of his game and performed another miraculous save just before the whistle sealed the deal for the team from West Ruimveldt.
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