Guyana’s national men’s hockey team registered its first win in the Indoor Pan American Championships in dramatic fashion yesterday afternoon in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
The Guyanese dictated the pace of the game from the start and they won by a narrow score line of 8-6 against Venezuela.
Guyana’s first chance came in the third minute when Robert France converted an easy shot into the D off a pass from Jerazeno Bell. Venezuela then responded with a goal in the 7th minute when Daniel Quiroz slotted in a penalty corner.
With that equaliser Venezuela went on to score three unanswered goals to take the score to 4-1 before Guyana pulled one back in the 18th minute off the stick of France. It was a powerful flick past the keeper from the right side of the Venezuelan area to end the half at 4-2 in Venezuela’s favour.
Two minutes into the second half Venezuela were down to five men when Krahis Gamboa received a two-minute penalty for his second green card of the match. However, Guyana’s numerical advantage was not for long since Marvin Dannett was given a two-minute penalty of his own for an intentional foul.
With five on each side Venezuela scored again with Andy Adrian slotting a penalty stroke past goal keeper Michael Xavier. Guyana answered from the stick of Bell from a penalty corner, but then a Venezuelan counter attack in the 30th minute took the score to 6-3.
The game seemed to be slipping away from the Guyanese, who had already suffered two losses – one from South American powerhouse Argentina (0-2) and Canada (3-11).
Venezuela tried to shut down the game to preserve their lead. But this resulted in numerous penalty corners going in Guyana’s favour with Shane Samuels converting one in the 31st minute then adding a field goal in 35th minute to take the score to 5-6.
The drama mounted when Dwayne Scott was given a straight yellow and a five-minute penalty for an intentional foul. Guyana lifted their play and Dannett scored twice in the 38th minute to give his country a 7-6 lead.
France then sealed the win from a well worked penalty corner to end the game on a hat trick. (Marlon Munroe)
