Camptown slays another Linden club
-Kashif and Shanghai football
By Steve Ninval
Stabroek News
December 27, 2003
CAMPTOWN Football Club firmly latched on to title of favourite team to win the 14th annual Kashif and Shanghai knock out crown with a convincing victory over Net Rockers at the Blairmont ground on Christmas day.
Following up on a 5-1 whipping of Linden's Eagles United in the first match Camptown returned as the slayers of the mining town with a 4-0 of the tougher Net Rockers in the feature game of a double header card.
"We will play better as the competition continues," coach Desmond Alfred said after the victory. "We have reached the semi-final and will more or less be playing the same team that knocked us out last year."
Once again playing crowd-pleasing football, Camptown controlled most of the game of which players from the national Under-23 team played a major role.
Net Rockers boosted by the return of national captain Charles `Lily' Pollard temporarily found new life in the early stages of the second half.
Watched by one of the largest crowds ever to grace a football game at Blairmont, Camptown started the trek to the semi-final in the fourth minute when national Under-23 midfielder Jonathan Peters struck from inside the box.
Fellow Under-23 Gregory `Jackie Chan' Richardson, a guest player with Camptown, made matters worst for Net Rockers when he converted a corner taken in the 45th minute.
With Camptown enjoying the comfortable lead Net Rockers regrouped to provide stiff to provide stiff opposition early in the second half. However, like true champions, Camptown reclaimed the upper hand soon after. A long shot from Sherwin Cadogan beat the advancing goalkeeper Orlando Carew in the 75th minute. The nail was driven into Net Rockers' coffin in the last minute of regulation time when Elton Browne was on target.
With his eyes now on the semi-final Alfred said that his club still has some adjustments to make. "We are creating a lot of chances but not scoring most. We have some adjustments to make but I'm sure that we will be ready for Sunday.
Camptown play the Kashif and Shanghai All Start team in one of two semi-final matches at the GCC ground tomorrow.
The Kashif and Shanghai All Stars, made up mostly of Western Tigers players, scrapped into the semi-final after edging out BV/Triumph 2-1 in the suupporting game on Thursday. Eron Hayde and Ryan Thomas fired in goal for the All Star team in the third and 31st minutes respectively. BV/Triumph's lone goal was scored by national Under-23 Dwight Peters.