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Alpha stun Defence Force, face H'View today
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Caledonia AIA stamped its authority on Group 2 of the 2014 Caribbean Football Union's Club Championship with a comfortable 3-0 win over group hosts Association Sportive de Mirebalais on Friday at the Mirebalais Stadium in Haiti.

 The 2012 Caribbean champions put aside its domestic troubles in the Digicel Pro League to score twice in the first half, through goals by striker Keyon Edwards and defender Nuru Adulllah Muhammad, before sealing the victory with a late goal from substitute winger Tyrone Charles.

But across in Group 3, hosted in Jamaica, fellow Trinidadian club and last season’s Digicel Pro League champions Defence Force, grinding domestic hitches, were defeated 2-0 by Guyana’s Alpha United at the Habour View Stadium.

Ironically Alpha are equipped with a number of former TT Pro League players such as Dwight Peters, Dwain Jacobs, Grenadian Kithson Bain (Caledonia) and Gregory Richardson (Joe Public).

Alpha’s coach Wayne Dover is also a former assistant to Caledonia coach Jamaal Shabazz. He served alongside Shabazz during the Trinidadian’s time in charge of the Guyana Men’s Senior Team, and had a stint with the Caledonia coaching staff.

Alpha scored on either side of the half against Defence Force with Andre Murray scoring in the 20th minute and Bain, who represented Caledonia last year, completed the scoring in the 48th minute.

The four-time successive Guyana league champions, who made the 2011/2012 Concacaf Champions League, stands atop the three-team Group 3 following a late pull-out by Surinamese outfit Sporting Vereniging Notch.

As a result of their withdrawal, CFU levied a fine of US$51,269.44 against Notch in keeping with Article IV B (2) and Article IV B (5), which must be paid within seven days of the club’s official withdrawal. Additionally, the Surinamese club could face other sanctions according to the CFU.

Alpha will next face home-team and defending Red Stripe Premier League champions Habour View on Sunday, and a win for the Guyanese outfit will secure a top of the group finish and a spot in the Club Championship semi-final round.

Habour View and last season’s Champions League outfit, Defence Force, will meet on Tuesday to complete the group phase.

While Caledonia, gunning for its third consecutive qualification into the Champions League, will next face Suriname’s Inter Moengotapoe on Sunday, and against Jamaica’s Waterhouse FC on Tuesday.

The Morvant/Laventille club's roster is depleted without defender Aubrey David, who joined Finland's FF Jaro on loan, while midfielder Akim Armstrong and forward Jamal Gay are both on trials in that country.

Against Mirebalais, Edwards headed Caledonia in front, 1-0, by the 21st minute off a Nathan Lewis cross. Shabazz’s side doubled its advantage, 2-0, by the 32nd minute when defender Muhammad flicked in a Ralph Lundy free-kick, and eight minutes from time Charles’ trademark free-kick around the wall and into the back of the net made it 3-0.

"(We are) happy to get a winning start against the host club and impressed with the way our team kept their nerve after torrid early pressure from the opponents,” said Shabazz. “(Our players) are showing a kind of focus and commitment that augurs well for our ambition to top the group. Our challenge going into the match against the Suriname club is to strive for consistency.”

Team

Caledonia AIA—Shemel Louison (GK), Kareem Joseph, Akeem Thomas, Nuru Abdullah Muhammad, Marcus Ambrose. Nathan Lewis, Stephan David, Densill Theobald, Noel Williams (Keron Bethelmy), Ralph Lundy (Tyrone Charles), Keyon Edwards (Pernell Schultz).

Unused substitutes—Nical Stephens, Julian Wade, Raymond Alleyne and Kevin Graham (GK).

Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship 2014 Day One Results, Friday 21 March

Group 1

Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium, Puerto Rico
Centro Dominguito 0—0 Unite Saint Rosienne
Bayamon FC 5—0 Bodden Town

Group 2

Mirebalais Stadium, Haiti
Waterhouse FC 4—0 Inter Moengoetapoe
Caledonia AIA 3—0 Association Sportive de Mirebalais

Group 3

Harbour View Stadium, Jamaica
Alpha United 2—0 Defence Force

RELATED NEWS

Alpha stun Defence Force, face H'View today
BY HURBUN WILLIAMS (OBSERVER).


ALPHA United FC of Guyana shocked Defence Force of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in their opening game in the regional Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship at the Harbour View mini-stadium on Friday.

Andrew Murray got the Guyanese team off the mark in the 20th minute, and Kithson Bain made the result safe three minutes after the half-time break for what was considered the surprising victory by the semi-professional team against the professional Defence Force team.

Alpha started confidently and within minutes of the kick-off, nimble-footed vice-captain Gregory Richardson exposed a leaky Defence Force backline with some darting right-sided runs that left the Trini professionals in a real spot of bother.

Their industrious forays paid off as Defence Force failed to close out their left side terror in Murray and left goalkeeper Kevin Graham at his mercy.

Going to the break a goal down, Defence Force were expected to return with great purpose and thrust and they did. But before they could settle, Alpha struck early in the half with their second goal through Bain to help to stifle any ambitious notion Defence Force might have harboured in staging a successful second-half reprisal.

Successful coach Wayne Dover said that the victory was not entirely unexpected. "It was a team effort that was due to team organisation defensively. We always knew that once we can maintain the level of discipline defensively, on the counter attack or in the offence we could always make a lot of deceptive moves because we have players who are capable of creating space and scoring goals."

He added: "Well, we know Defence Force to be a good team; they play in a professional league (while) we have an amateur situation in Guyana, but we acquired a number of good players in the country and made this team the way it is. So we knew coming into this game it would not have been easy, but we have beaten this team before when we finished third in the CFU Cup. So we knew we had one up against them and could always take it to two."

The confident coach added that the aim is to win all their games, and therefore he is expecting another disciplined performance against Harbour View today.

Dover's Trinidad and Tobago counterpart Ross Russell expressed great disappointment with his team's shoddy display. "The guys did not step up today. They were a little behind Alpha. I thought Alpha were quicker to the ball and for that you have to give them credit. They played a good game and fought for every ball."

Meanwhile, Harbour View will bow into action today at 7:30 pm against Alpha United after their fixture against Club SV Notch on Friday was not called off following the withdrawal of the Surinamese club from the competition due to internal issues.

Club SV Notch was thus fined US$51,269.44 in keeping with Article IV (2) and Article IV B (5). The top three teams in the tournament qualify for the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League.

News & Notes

-  In order to assist teams with expenses associated of host their respective groups, CONCACAF officials presented checks in the amount of USD$20,000 dollars to Bayamon, Harbour View and AS Mirebalais.

-  Each of three group winners will advance to the competition’s semifinals, where they will be joined by Haiti’s Valencia, which received a bye.  The eventual finalists and winner of the match for third place will qualify for the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League