It’s crunch time!
The knockout phase of the LIME Pelican Football Challenge kicks off tonight with two very entertaining quarter-final matches.
At 6 p.m. Scotty’s Tech 4 Less Combined Stars will come up against Barbados Steelworks Esso Oistins Top Bay Settlers, while high flying Emmerson Boyce Fifth Avenue Fashion Bajan Elite will meet L.G Kick Strike Force at 8:30 p.m.
Combined Stars and Top Bay have experienced similar group performances and progressed. Both started a bit slow but advanced quietly and effectively.
Another similarity is they are both familiar with this stage of the competition, but the major difference is Top Bay know how to clear this particular hurdle which has tripped up Combined Stars for the past two years.
Top Bay must, however, be careful not to become a victim of statistics, as this Combined Stars team not only possess different personnel but a contrasting approach to their quality and style of play. Coach Adrian Hall has made a significant impact and the results during group play have displayed such.
Paul Alexander has been a dependable force in the back along with his backline of Curtis Blackman, John Stuart and Kemar Dottin for the Stars.
Their midfield’s tireless work rate has compensated for most of their errors. Up front, they will be depending on the robust Tristan “Fishy” Parris and strike partner Shaquille Boyce to be as clinical as they were during the group stages.
Top Bay’s strength lies in their offensive play, with Kent Hall and the energetic Raheim Sargeant orchestrating things and scoring goals as well. Sargeant’s partnership with front men Edwin Brerton, Mustafa Haqq and Brett Carrington has improved each game and if their progress continues it could be a tough night for the Combined Stars defence.
Tito Beckles and company in the back line will have to stay disciplined and organized, if they are to remain competitive in this encounter.
Bajan Elite come in the quarter-finals as the only team with a 100 per cent record, the first in the tournament’s history.
However they will also be mindful that this is knockout football and anything which occurred before is null and void, hence a new gear must be applied and stricter focus is necessary.
Their back line of skipper Barry Skeete, Zico Philips, Jabari Nicholls and Akeem Browne have performed commendably, staying firm and compact throughout the competition. Jeffrey Williams, Reviere Williams, Romario Harewood and Kemar Headley have been responsible for the creativity and execution in the offensive department, a task which they have performed to perfection to the delight and admiration of their fans.
Strike Force displayed periodically their quality and will need consistency and unity to overrule what is a well-oiled Elite machine. Front men Diquan Adamson and Dwayne Mars have yet to trouble the scoring and no better stage to announce your presence than at the knockout stage against one of the tournament favourites.
Adamson and Mars will be relying on the service from Giancarlo Cobham, Elsid Miggins and Tremaine Cobham to crack a disciplined Bajan Elite defence.
Jonathan Straker will need all his experience to guide his rather inexperienced partners of Kimoi Seale and Aaron Leacock, to ensure their opponents do not get a clear whiff of the goal.
Bajan Elite will be looking to erase last year’s 4-1 result with a similar score line this time around but Strike Force will have other plans in mind as they seek to go past the quarter-final round for the first time.