NaMilCo Football Festival…Conquerors lacklustre in 3-1 win over Charlestown United

-GFC scrapes past Flamingo

By Rawle Welch
Despite the absence of two of two key players in Pernell Schultz and goalkeeper Colin
Edwards, hosts Fruta Conquers advanced to the next round of this year’s NaMilCo Football Festival after registering a 3-1 win over Charlestown United on Sunday evening, at Tucville ground.
They joined Georgetown Football Club (GFC), who scrapped and scraped to a narrow 1-0 win over Flamingo in the opening game with Anson Lynch’s 15th minute strike separating the teams.

A Flamingo player (backing camera) on the attack in their clash against GFC, at the Tucville ground on Sunday.

Fruta Conquerors, a young, but emerging force in football in Georgetown lacked their usual clinical efficiency and looked lacklustre, especially in the opening half, but still managed to outplay their opponents for a place in the quarter-finals.
Head Coach of Fruta Conquerors Sampson Gilbert must have been unhappy with the inexplicable poor finishing that flooded the half and will be imploring on his young charges to lift their game as they move into the latter stages of the tournament.
They clearly showed the effects of losing Schultz and No.1 goalkeeper Edwards to national duties and even though the score-line was a comfortable one, they muffed numerous chances of increasing the goal-scoring column.
Eon Alleyne (20th), Marko Marcus (50th) and Kwame LaFleur (65th) netted for the winners, while Duereon Benjamin (59th), who made the lone response for Charlestown United made it a bit interesting at one stage.
First, it was Markus, who missed an open goal from close range, before Alleyne’s point blank effort went straight at the opposing goalkeeper, all in the first period.
Shortly after, two more chances went abegging and everyone wondered if it was an ominous sign that could result in an upset.
However, Captain Alleyne ensured that the inept early showing was just a mirage as he netted the first goal of the match, beating the goalkeeper to his left.
Conquerors never looked sharp despite being tactically superior, giving up possession uncharacteristically easily and went to lemon time with a slim 1-0 advantage.
On the resumption, it was clear that Coach Gilbert had read the riot act and fans saw a slightly more improved display and it took just five minutes into the second period for the homesters to stretch their lead with Markus making amends for his earlier lapses, being left unmarked in the penalty area to slot home from close range.
However, United hit back nine minutes later when Benjamin scored from a penalty to add a little interest in the game.
LaFleur then put the contest out of reach when he fired a fierce right-footer past the hapless custodian to effectively seal the win.
Meanwhile, the competition continues tomorrow with another double header in quarter-final action.
At 19:00 hrs Beacon F.C. takes on Sunburst Camptown and that will be followed at 21:00 hrs with a clash that involves Alpha United and Riddim Squad.
Quarter-final action resumes on Friday when Fruta Conquerors tackles GFC from 19:00 hrs and in the feature game GDF collides with Santos from 21:00 hrs.
All matches are being played at the Tucville ground.