Barrie’s Strike gives Sierra Leone’s Shooting Stars shinning chance

Sorie Barrie scored the only goal of the match just before the break from a Fayia Kobba cross as reward for a great deal of pressure imposed by the Shooting Stars of Sierra Leone on their Guinean visitors.

A typically visionary cross-field pass from Kwame Quee released Fayia Kobba down the right. Having sprinted in behind two Guinean rearguards, the Kambui Eagles striker centred for Sorie Barrie in the penalty area to scramble past the Guinean central defender, Ibrahim Sory Conte before slotting home a left footed inside kick.

The Sierra Leone Under-20 squad clad in their traditional Green and White jersey, blue hose with a white piping; hosted their Guinean counterpart last Saturday in the Africa Youth Championship 2015 first leg preliminaries at the Wusum Stadium in Makeni City.

The Guineans, who were in their usual away white jersey with a diagonal Red, Yellow and Green piping on the front and a white hose with red piping on the top; had the first opportunity in the 7th minute when Mohamed Latige Camara floated a pass to Amadai Keita in the penalty area but the lanky striker’s first touch went lose and Goalkeeper Aruna Kamara easily cleared away.

Sierra Leone went on the counter with a pass from skipper, Ishmeal Koroma but Alimamy Bundu’s thunderous volley few yards from the penalty area went straight into the hands of the Guinean shot stopper, Mustapha Sylla.

In the 11^th minute, Shooting Stars Alimamy Bundu received a through pass from Yeami Dunia and immediately placed a right foot volley into the right top corner of the net; misplacing the advancing goalkeeper but Liberian referee, Issac Tz Montgomery adjudged him to be in an off-side position.

The only goal of the match came in the 37^th minute when Sorie Barrie capitalized on a defensive blunder and few minutes before the break, the Guineans came close to leveling the scores. Mohamed Latige Camara’s free-kick few yards from the box hit the top of the cross bar after sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

 In the early minutes of the second half. the Shooting Stars, by contrast, looked like scoring every time they strung a couple of passes together and substitute Ibrahim Conteh really should have put the result beyond all doubt just before the hour after being picked out in the area by Ibrahim Kamara, but the FC Kallon player saw his stabbed effort well saved by Sylla.

By the 70^th minute, the threat from the hosts was more muted, and Goal Keeper, Aruna Kamara had to be sharp on three occasions to touch over from Cheick Aliou Sylla prior to Mohamed Bangoura’s breakthrough, which changed the dynamic of the game.

Abdulaye Camara had an opportunity to equalise after being set up by Latige, but Ishmael Koroma got his foot firmly behind the Guinean skipper’s drive, and Mohamed Mady Camara could not quite scramble home from a corner kick.

The Guineans would dominate possession until the end, yet aside from the occasional raid from Mohamed Latige Camara down the right flank and Mohamed Bangoura down the left, they were largely toothless with regards a threat on Aruna Kamaras’ goal until the FC Kallon keeper denied Mohamed Coumbassa in stoppage-time.

In the end, it mattered not a jot as Sierra Leone ultimately cruised to a 1-0 victory that affords them the advantage to take to Conakry for the second leg.

During the post match conference, Shooting Stars Head Coach Alimamy Turay says he was satisfied with the performance of his boys noting that their resistance to prevent the visitors from scoring an away goal gave them a very good advantage.

“I’m happy with the result despite the fact that my expectation was to win by a two or three goals margin. We will have to do more in the return leg and I’m optimistic we will proceed to the next stage,” Coach Turay said.

The visiting Head Coach,  Manjou Diallo expressed buoyancy in overturning the results when the two sides meet again in Conakry, Guinea on April 19.

“We played well in both halves but lose concentration in the last 10 minutes of the first half, which resulted for the goal. We were hoping to have an away goal but we are going home with our head raised up. We will surely overturn the result in Conakry and qualify to the next stage,” Coach Diallo assured.

LINE UP Sierra Leone: Aruna Kamara (GK), Ibrahim Kamara, Yeami Dunya, Abu Bakarr Samura, Ismael Koroma (Capt), Ibrahim Kabba, Kwame Quee, Nathaniel Tongovula (Ibrahim Conteh 53’), Fayia Kobba Jr., Sorie Barrie (Saidu Fofanah 86’), Alimamy Bundu (Santigie Koroma 76’)

Unused Reserves: Unisa Conteh (GK), Mohamed Mansaray, Abdul Bangura, Sulaiman Samura

Coach: Alimamy Turay

LINE UP Guinea, Conakry: Moustapha Sylla (GK), Abdulaye Camara (Capt), Mohamed Latige Camara, Mohamed Bangoura, Ibrahim Sory Conte, Aboubacar Moutarr Sylla (Aboubacar Camara 49’), Ibrahim Sory Sankhon, Mohamed Mady Camara (Mohamed Coumbassa 62’), Amadou Keita (Boubacar Siddy Diallo77’), Cheick Aliou Sylla, Alseny Camara

Unused Reserves: Mamadou Demba Camara (GK), Naby Camara, Sekou Camara, Sekou Amadou Camara

Coach: Manjou Diallo

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Issac Tz Montgomery (Liberia)

AR1: Francis Sannoh (Liberia)s

AR2: Elishi Johnson (Liberia)

RR: Christopher Nylander (Liberia)

MC: Alhagie Sillah (The Gambia)

Bookings: Amadou Keita 21’ (G), Abu Bakarr Samura 25’ (SL)

By Abubakarr Kamara

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