Turbo KO Football…Police and Camptown to face-off in Final

Nov 27, 2017 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...o-face-off-in-final/

By Sean Devers
Under a clear night and floodlights, the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue was transformed in a hive of activity on Friday evening when a large crowd saw City side Camptown FC and Police FC win their semi-final games in the inaugural Turbo Knockout Football tournament to march into the finals.

Camptown, led by a goal from their Keeper Richie Richards from the penalty spot, beat Poudroyen 1-nil in the first semi-final, while in the feature game Police, urged on by very vocal contingent of supports defeated Grove Hi Tech FC 3-1 as Quacy Holder netted a brace and Rawle Haynes scored the other goal.
The lads from East Bank pushed their more decorated opponents in the opening stages of the contests and had plenty of ball possession but it was Police who fired a warning shot in the 15th minute when Travis Jones beat the Grove Hi Tech’s defence but his shot was well saved by Custodian Seon Simpson.
Police would open the scoring in 38th minute when Quacy Holder collected a corner and found the back of the nets to the delight of the fans in the ground and those watching from the Seawall.
Grove Hi Tech frequently got into Police’s half but most of the game was played in the middle with passes being regularly intercepted by opposition players as Police Goalie Dares Frank looked very organised between the uprights.
Holder doubled the Cop’s lead a minute before the end of the first stanza after collecting a cross from the right and drilled the ball against a strong Atlantic breeze past Simpson to leave the score 2-nil for Police at half-time.
The second half saw the Lawmen picking up the pace and their raucous fans becoming more and more animated as the beers flowed on the side lines and when the fitter Policemen began to outsprint their Grove Hi Tech counterparts their good natured taunting of the opposition fans and the linesman reached a crescendo.
It was soon Hi Tech fans turn to celebrate when Mervin Squires beat the wall and an otherwise efficient Frank to make it 2-1 in the 48th minute but that was the last success for the East Bank team as Strikers Holder, Haynes and Jones made constant raids on Hi-Tech’s goal.
Simpson, who did a decent job in Goal, was beaten for the last time in a fairly competitive game with Grove Hi Tech in an all-out attack, desperate for the equaliser and Haynes found the back off the net to give Police their third goal of the night in 73rd minute.
Police then beefed up their defensive end to protect their lead and when the final whistle was blown their fans celebrated as if their team had won a World Cup.
In the first semi-final, Camptown FC spearheaded by 44th minute goal from the penalty spot by their Goalkeeper Richie Richards, beat West Demerara’s Poudroyen FC 1-nil in an encounter which lacked intensity.
Poudroyen got the first shot on Goal in the first five minutes but failed to finish as Richards made an easy save.
Camptown enjoyed more possession but their forwards lacked the killer instinct and at half-time the score read Camptown 1, Poudroyen nil.
And so it remained for the rest of a contest which poor passing from both sides with the highlight being when a toddler racing onto in the middle of the action and luckily was unhurt as he weaved his way between the players before he was picked up by a player and handed his to a female relative.