BV United, Golden Stars, Victoria Kings and Bakewell Buxton Stars all recorded victories at the Victoria Ground when the Victoria Kings/Healthy Choice Easter Cup Football tournament kicked off Saturday. BV/Triumph United beat Victoria Kings/Healthy X1 2-0; Golden Stars edged Ann’s’ Grove United 2-1; Victoria Kings beat Mahaica Determinators 5-4 in a tense penalty shootout and Bakewell Buxton Stars humbled Plaisance United 3-0. According to a press release, in the first encounter BV/Triumph United defeated the youthful Victoria Kings/Healthy Choice X1 made up of mainly Under-20 players. Former national striker Delroy Deen put BV/Triumph United ahead in the 10th minute from the penalty spot after Quacey Price was fouled in the box by defender Ryan Goodridge while Theron Petrie made it 2-0 in the 50th minute.
The Beterverwagting-based team will now play Victoria Kings in the first semi-final Saturday night.
Golden Stars, boosted by four guest players from national champions Alpha United, defeated Ann’s Grove United in a keenly-contested affair. Seon Austin scored a double for Golden Stars in the 15th and 40th minutes after he was sent clear by Manasseh Primo and Keon McCally.
Golden Stars will now play Bakewell Buxton Stars in the second semi-final Saturday. In the feature game which began at 22:00 hours, East Coast Demerara champions Victoria Kings, overcame Mahaica Determinators in a tense penalty shootout after the game ended nil all in regulation and extra time. Aubrey Gibson hit Kings’ first penalty wide of the target but Calvin De Souza, Rolston Morrison, Sherlock Dowden, Robert Souza and Winston Pompey all netted for the home side. Keplen Wilson hit the cross bar and Joel Pereira shot wide for Mahaica while Maxwell Pellew, Dellon Charles, Terry Caesar and Jason Jack found the back of the net.
Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Steve Ninvalle gave the opening remarks and kicked off the ball to officially start the tournament. He encouraged the footballers to be good ambassadors of the sport and also gave all assurances that the government is committed to the development of sports throughout Guyana.
Ninvalle also stressed that the ministry will continue to support football at the grassroots level as well as at the national level.
