Kevin Williams double up as Rangers surprise North East.
By: Gordon Pierre (ttproleague).[/size]
Superstar Ranger’s Kevin Williams scored a brace to help his team beat North East Stars 3-1 in the opening game of a Lucozade Sport Big Six double at the Larry Gomes stadium on Tuesday.
With experienced players Lorne Joseph and Errol Mc Farlane on the bench, Ricardo Aleong in goal and Kerwyn “Hardest” Jemmott sporting the captain armband one could have been excused for thinking that Rangers were not taking the game seriously.
At the bottom of the Big Six table without a point and without any chance of improving their sixth place position in the league Rangers seemed uninterested in the day’s proceedings at the start of the game and in the 1st minute keeper Ricardo Aleong was forced to make a save after a good shot by North East John Stewart.
Two minutes later Oneke Ford headed over bar after some good work by Marc Leslie down the North East right hand side.
North East who were also without their Guyanese contingent totally dominated the early proceedings and in the 23rd minute were to get some reward when Stokely Mason fired home a fierce right footed shot from on top the 18 yard box after the Rangers defence failed to clear a loose ball, North East leading 1-0.
Stand-in goalkeeper Aleong was to keep Rangers in the game in the 29th minute with another good save when a Stokely Mason shot took a wicked defection off a defender.
One minute later Rangers should have equalized through Todd Ryan but he hit straight at the keeper when put through by a Josimar Belgrave pass. Ryan would however make amends in the 36th minute when he headed home a Kerwyn Jemmott cross, to tie the scores at 1.
In the 39th minute a terrible goal keeping error by North East goalkeeper would gift Rangers their second goal.
Keeper Curtis Granger missed a routine clearance just outside the box allowing Kevin Williams to run on to the ball and tap into an open goal to make it 2-1 Rangers.
At the half-time North East made two substitutions Keryn Navarro on for John Stewart and Davidson Neptune on for the injured Kenwin Matthew who had to be rushed to the hospital for dizziness after having headed a ball during the first half. Six minutes into the second half Marc Leslie headed over bar from close range.
In the 53rd Oneke Ford got the ball into the back of the net but the effort was ruled offside. The game started to heat up with end-to-end action, with both teams pressing for a goal.
The goal was to come in the 73rd minute, Kevin Williams scoring a beautifully taken goal after a well timed through ball from Kerwin Jemmott, 3-1 Rangers.
Three minutes later the keeper made a good save off a Kern Thomas shot.
In the last ten minutes North East came in search of the goals and would have scored, but for Aleongs’ brilliant save, when one on one with Kevin Jeffery.
With time winding down North East keeper had the wind knocked out of him after powerful shot from Errol Mc Farlane from distance in the 89th minute. In the end Rangers held on for the win to get their first three points in the Big Six.
Teams:
North East Stars: - Curtis Granger, Akeno Morgan, Vernon Bailey, Stokey Mason, Kenwin Matthew (45th Davidson Neptune), Kevin Jeffrey, Kendall Velox (capt), Oneke Ford (56th Kern Thomas), John Stewart (Keryn Navarro), Jesse Martinez, Marc Leslie.
Coach: Everald Cummings
Superstar Rangers: - Eldon Rennie, Dean Pacheco, Kevin Williams (83rd Akil Glasgow), Todd Ryan, Kerwyn Jemmott, Kerwyn Cooper (77th Errol Mc Farlane), Jason Eastman, Don Morris, Ricardo Aleong, Milton Fabian Correa Gomez, Josimar Belgrave.
Coach: Anthony Streete
North East Stars v Superstar Rangers
1 Goals 3
6 Shots on Target 4
3 Corners 1
5 Offsides 4
0 Yellow Cards 2
0 Red Cards 0
14 Fouls 13
