By Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter
John Barnes (right), playing for Liverpool Legends, gets around Linval Wilson of Jamaica Legends during yesterday's Wray and Nephew Premier League curtain-raiser at Sabina Park. Richard Murray watches the play. Liverpool Legends won 2-1. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
THE DEADLY goal-scoring touch of Ian Rush for Liverpool Legends and a come-from-behind win by the Western All-Stars' against an Eastern aggregation thrilled fans who turned out for the Wray and Nephew Premier League curtain-raiser, Festival of Football, at Sabina Park yesterday.
A fifth-minute strike from Rush and Rob Jones' stoppage time winner edged Jamaica's veterans 2-1 after Ali McNab's thunderous shot had tied the 40-minute match at 1-1.
Wily Wilfred Smith of Village United scored both goals in the Western All-Stars' victory against an Eastern team minus senior players on national call and Under-20 players on rest.
Displaying some of the touches which made him the most feared club striker in all of England during the 1980s, Rush coolly sent his side ahead from just inside the box with a well-placed shot which beat goalie Donovan Hayles from it left his boot.
John Barnes barely attempted any of his heyday runs through midfield or down the flank but showed he still had a trick or two left in his feet, laying off plays for Rush and first-time look-alike John Aldridge from out of mid-field.
McNab's goal was a solid strike off Barrington Gaynor's cut-back, but Jones ensured the visiting Legends went away winners with a late strike.
Later in the afternoon, Fabian Davis gave Eastern All-Stars a 49th-minute lead with a free-kick which took a wicked deflection, beating goalie Alrick Henry from 20-odd yards.
The Easterners' celebrations were short-lived as the West's fresher legs, through multiple half-time substitutions in the 80-minute match, allowed them to pull level three minutes later. Smith scored from close-up and returned to repeat six minutes from time.
The veterans match was truly nostalgic. For Jamaica, goalie Leroy Graham, mid-fielder Richard Murray, McNab, flank-running Gaynor and the national coaching pair of Carl Brown and Peter Cargill, defied age to treat an appreciative crowd but the visitors were always running off the ball better, creating more chances around goal.
After Rush's opening goal, Aldridge should have made it 2-0 two minutes later but the man who captured hearts at Anfield with an uncanny resemblance and at times similar goalscoring skills to Rush, unbelievably headed wide from inside the six-yard box.
The crowd really came alive in the 34th minute when Rush robbed Gaynor, hoisted the ball over the wing-back's head and moved downfield. Flustered in front of the cheering crowd, the former national chased to the half-line and won possession from a winded Rush.
The All-Stars match-up failed to spark until Davis opened the scoring. The West's flood of second-half changes took its toll on the East's William Richards-led defence for nimble Smith to score his first goal.
Davis got a chance to put the East 2-1 up in the 63rd but shot wide of an open goal with the goalie stranded.
Smith's determination inside th e box won the match for the West, spinning and turning away from defenders to boot past helpless Gerald Neil standing on the line, covering for a beaten Julian McLeish, who had replaced Sean Sawyers in goal.
