By Calvin Roberts
Pouderoyen Football Club and Rosignol United advanced to the quarter-finals of the Alpha United Football Club organized $2.2m Carifesta Football tournament when they defeated BV/ Triumph United and Bakewell Buxton United respectively at the Plaisance Community Centre ground Saturday night.
In the first game of the night’s double header feature, Pouderoyen took care of their East Coast counterparts 2-0 courtesy of a double strike from Clement Browne who netted in the 37th and 77th minutes.
In the second game, Rosignol signalled their intentions from as early as the first minute of play when Delwin Fraser blasted one past former national under-17 custodian Brian Robinson in goal for Bakewell Buxton.
Even though both teams tried desperately to dictate the pace of the game, the score line remained the same at lemon time.
However, 10 minutes after play resumed Bakewell Buxton got the equalizer when Sherwin Griffith scored following a goal mouth scrimmage.
The match became heated forcing the referee to issue three red cards (two to Rosignol and one to Buxton) before the final whistle and even though the victors were reduced firstly to 10 men and secondly to nine, Bakewell Buxton still found it hard to score.
Otis Mitchell and Delwin Fraser were thorns in the flesh of Buxton’s defence with the latter making some spirited runs on the right side of the wing and it was with one of those runs in the fourth minute of extra time, that Rosignol seized the initiative.
Fraser had received the ball from his custodian just inside his own half and made his way deep into Buxton’s half.
His elder brother Delroy then received a gem of a pass and, after rounding his marker, sent a low cross across the goal mouth of Buxton where Rawle Scott was waiting in no man’s land to place an unchallenged header into the net.
With the Berbice Football sub-Association president on the sidelines watching the proceedings, Scott made his way straight to his superior and calmly said “that goal is for you,” before being mobbed by his teammates and even some supporters.
A see-saw battle ensued after that with Rosignol looking to not only defend, but also increase their lead whilst Buxton were searching for the equalizer which they never got at the end of extra time, leaving Rosignol victors by 2-1 margin.
The competition which has a first place prize of G$1m, will continue tomorrow and Wednesday with double header action at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground.
Tomorrow, Santos will battle with Uitvlugt in the opening game whilst Sunburst Camptown will oppose the home team GFC in the second.
On Wednesday, host club Alpha ’The Hammer’ United will take on Mocha Champs followed by the Pele/BK Western Tigers clash.
