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The goal is no goals - Bender

Published:Monday | October 15, 2018 | 12:00 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Charlie Smith High's Treke Atkinson battles with Camperdown High's Narvado Allen (right) during their ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup match at the Alpha Boys Home field on Saturday, September 22, 2018.
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Camperdown High coach Christopher Bender, said his team is looking not to concede when they face Excelsior in a tough ISSA/Digicel second round first-leg game at Stadium East this afternoon, in the second game of a double-header, at 3:00 p.m.

Camperdown topped Group C with 26 points, after eight wins and two draws from 10 matches, scoring 18 times and conceding five, while, Excelsior finished second in Group E on goal difference behind St Catherine high. However, the Mountain View school has been way more prolific than their opponent with 41 goals scored and five conceded.

"We have not scored a lot of goals like Excelsior, but you have to play who you have. We are the home team and we will try our best not to concede in the first leg. Our aim is to get the advantage, so we have to concentrate on ourselves," he said.

 

Objectives achieved

 

"We have been doing well. We finished September well in terms of achieving our objectives, and we started October well by having two wins back to back.

"Now we want to continue the trend, but we know Excelsior is a formidable opponent. We played them preseason in the Ali Cup and I am sure they has improved. We have improved as well, so it will be a good match up. Hopefully we can come out with the result we desire," he said.

Shaquille Bradford, with eight goals to his name, has been Camperdown's leading player this season and he is expected to get good support from Sean Daley, Gary Edwards, goalkeeper Prince-Daniel Smith and defender Navado Allen.

"Excelsior lost only one game during the season and they turned it around the second round and defeating that team, so you know they are a good team. We are quietly confident and once we play well, we will get the result as a consequences of playing well.

"The team is focused and they realise where we are and know they need to step up a notch. There is room for improvement and hopefully we can start that in these two matches," he said.

Excelsior's main threat will come from captain Rohan Beadle and Damorney Hutchinson.

Denham Town take on Wolmer's in the first game at 1:00 p.m.