Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 15, 2009 Sports
By Franklin Wilson
As the pundits predicted, the Guyana Football Federation Super League will demonstrate that teams out of the city will prove that they have come of age and as long as they are active, city sides will have to come prepared to fight.
That was exactly the case at the Uitvlugt and Mackenzie Sports Club grounds on Sunday last. At Uitvlugt, home team Seawall (formerly Pouderoyen) faced a tough challenge in coming against leading national club side Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United.
Many fans from the city traveled to the West Side to see what the home team had to offer and they were not disappointed as Seawall stood tall and has sent out a message to all that they are here to play.
While Alpha enjoyed adequate ball possession, they found it increasingly difficult to move into the attacking third, create chances and take care of business.
Enjoying good home support Seawall made a few enterprising charges but perhaps were undone by the lack of competitive ball, their alertness upfront not as good as it could have been but surely they have signaled that they are one to reckon with for top honours.
Alpha’s Anthony Harding continued to enjoy good scoring form and he it was who gave them the initial advantage with a well taken shot in the 24th minute. It was an advantage they held for almost the rest of the game.
Seawall’s persistence in attack in the second half backed up by their being able to absorb the few threats Alpha created, brought the desired rewards with a mere one minute to full time.
They won a corner and after it was taken the ensuing squabble in front of goal saw Alpha defender Kelvin McKenzie handling the ball and referee Stanly Lancaster swiftly pointed to the penalty spot which brought loud cheers from West Side fans who were in full animated mood urging on their side as time quickly slipped by.
Former youth national and Captain Ike Garraway, was tasked with the responsibility of taking the shot and he did not disappoint his team or fans. He slapped the ball past goalkeeper Ronson Williams in the 89th minute to take an equal share of the points.
Up at the MSC ground, Liquid Gold of Bartica proved the critics wrong with a solid as gold performance against Bakewell Topp XX, needling the five-time Kashif and Shanghai champions. Whitney Welcome collected the ball in midfield, dribbled his way past two defenders before unleashing a powerful right foot shot to the right of custodian Reynold Arthur in the 81st minute.
The Bartica Boys came close to scoring a second a few minutes later, but the alertness of Top XX’s defence cleared the ball off the line just in time after Arthur was already well beaten, advancing just inside the area.
When the final whistle came, Liquid Gold have made a powerful statement as Seawall did at the Uitvlugt ground. The feature game was high intensity battle between two sides that have always produced exciting duels and this was no different. It started off in perhaps the most unfortunate circumstances when Milerock’s Ray Bob-Semple was red carded by referee Roy Mc Arthur for serious foul play in just the first minute committed against Camptown’s goalie, Richie Richards.
While the Camptown teams and fans harboured thoughts of having things easier, that was not the case as Milerock battled play for play even with a player less.
Chances were created by the city side but they just could not find the back of the nets but Milerock did, 34 minutes on in unusual style.
The home team won a free kick on the left side of Camptown’s goal about 30 yards out and Marlon Maxius took a left footed shot which appeared to be taken by Richards grasping the ball cleanly with both hands. But surprisingly, the referee and assistant felt otherwise and blew for goal. Happy were the Milerock team and supporters but bewildered were the Camptown players and fans.
The exchanges continued back and forth and as the game matured, Camptown turned up the pressure but with one minute to half time, Telson McKinnon was given marching orders by Mc Arthur for violent conduct as he attempted to strike an opposing player.
Both sides were now down to 10 players and the battles continued in the second half, Camptown increasing the pressure. Play was concentrated in their opponents half for long periods, Nigel Codrington engineering many enterprising runs but the equalizer kept eluding them until the 65th minute.
Again it was Codrington who worked his way down the left flank wriggling past two defenders before squaring the ball across the goal into the path of Kwame La Fleur who made no mistake in guiding the ball into the back of the nets.
Thereafter, Camptown were all over their opponents in search of the winner but it never came their way. It was a fair result for the city based side that was thumped by Alpha 3-1 in their opening game. Rosignol United sit comfortably at the top of the points table with 6 points from two wins, Alpha 4, Victoria Kings and Liquid Gold 3 each.
Camptown, Milerock and Seawall are on 1 apiece while Buxton United, Bakewell Topp XX and the Guyana Defence Force are without a point.
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