The Cougars and the Monedderlust Football Clubs booked the last two semi-final spots in the Berbice Football Association (BFA) Coca Cola Senior Knockout Tournament when they steamrolled Hopetown and Strike Force respectively over the weekend at the Blairmont Community Development Centre Ground.
In the opening match, Monedderlust crushed Strike Force United 9 – 1, then Cougars sank the hapless Hopetown team 11 – 3.
Monedderlust drew first blood as early as the second minute through Quacy Bailey who finished with a brace but Strike Force equalized in the 13th minute through Vacacy Samuels.
Monedderlust then took control of the game scoring three goals in the space of five minutes.
Elvis Croal struck in the 17th and 19th minutes while Travis Edwards scored in the 21st minute as Monedderlust led by three goals at lemon time.
Upon resumption, Anthio Wallis scored a hat trick netting in the 41st, 55th and 60th minutes while Bailey completed his double in the 44th minute. Dwain Guilford recorded the final Monedderlust goal in the 59th minute but was later given marching orders by referee Ingram Johnson for misconduct.
The feature match saw Cougars’ Winston Benjamin netting eight of his team’s 11 goals.
Benjamin opened the scoring in the fourth minute and then hammered in three more goals in the 19th, 25th and 36th minutes to leave his team ahead by two at the half-time.
Hopetown’s Sean Graham had earlier scored in the 11th minute and again in the 17th minute to send his team ahead which brought chants of ‘upset,’ upset from around the ground.
But the chants served only to awaken the sleeping Cougars who struck with the ferocity of the animal their club was named after.
In the second half Stephen DeFlorimonte, Horace Roache and Daylon Faria scored in the 45th, 51st and 64th minutes respectively while Benjamin resumed his scoring by tucking in goals in the 56th, 70th, 74th and 79th minutes of play.
Hopetown United were rewarded with a goal to finish the match with three goals on the board.
On Sunday, New Amsterdam United will face Monedderlust at 2pm in the first semi-final while Rosignol United will battle Cougars from 4pm at Blairmont.
