After months of top tier football competition between 12 clubs in the 2010-11 round one fixtures of The Gambia Football Association Division One League championship marked by some spectacular highs and dramatics lows, Pointsports has made a partial view of Brikama United impressive run of fine form in the first round fixtures which came to a dramatic end at the weekend.
The West Coast Region giants are undeniably the most impressive side of the twelve-club campaign having prevailed above their fellow title hunters as the race for the country’s top-tier accolade continues to gather pace.
Brikama, whose title ambition hangs by a threat due to a managerial problem when former coach Lang Kah parted company with the Western Region outfit last year, are on the brink of laying their hands on their first-ever Division one league title in the club’s history.
They have proven to be the most impressive side of the campaign, which saw them opened up a massive six point gap at the summit of the 12-club league table on 25 points going into the second round with something to be optimistic about.
Since he was named as Lang Kah’s replacement, Essa Sambou has quickly adopted to life in the country’s top-tier league as he emphatically guided Brikama outfit to an impressive run-of-form during a first round of impressive matches to put an end to the increasing speculation over the arrival of a new coach.
The magnificent Brikama United, who remained unbeaten in their own backyard throughout the first round, got off to a fine start to the campaign as they entertained relegation threatened Steve Biko to a goalless draw at the end of a pulsating encounter at the Brikama box Bar Mini-stadium back in March.
They continue to find form and it paid off well when beating the reigning champions Gambia Ports Authority 2-1 in their backyard in the week two fixtures to record another promising start to the league.
Next on the road for Brikama giants was a goalless draw against the military boys Gambia Armed Forces, whom they held to a bitter goalless draw before going onto upset 2006 league champions Real De Banjul with a narrow 1-nil success at the expense of the city boys.
They registered their biggest victory of the campaign to date with an emphatic 3-nil thrashing of Africell FC in the fifth week of the league fixtures at the Brikama Box Bar Mini-stadium on April 3, 2011 sending strong warning to the rest of their title challengers.
Interior, known for snatching draws and have since last year been named the draw specialist, were the next team that fell in the hands of coach Essa Sambou and his charges.
They beat Interior 1-nil and went ahead to play a hard fought goalless draw with Bakau United, who have dropped deep in form in the later part of the first round having started the league on a high note.
Brikama continue their road to success and on their way beat Young Africans, the newly promoted team to the first division, and went on to secure a 2-1 win at the expense of coach Jane Joof and his academy boys Samger in the week nine fixtures at the Serrekunda West Mini-stadium.
A 2-1 win over the telecommunications giants Gamtel and a bitterly fought goalless draw with the record title holders Wallidan over a fortnight ago, were enough to see the West Coast Region outfit occupied the top spot on the league table as they remain on course for their first league title in the club’s history.
