Group stage action in the Linden leg of the 2012, Guinness Greatest of the Street Futsal competition last Saturday at the New Silver City Hardcourt with four of the eight fixtures producing wins while the defending champions Eagles were held to a two all draw by Trainline Warriors. Some 25 goals were scored Saturday night a slight decline from the 29 and 28 goals scored on the two previous tournament days. EL Dorado’s Andrew Lambert eclipsed Kwesi Johnson and Darrel George as the player to score the fastest goal in the competition.
Johnson and George had previously recorded their goals in the first minute of play for their respective teams during the first two rounds of the tournament, but Lambert got his in a mere 13 seconds, even though his team went down to Top Class 2-1.
The action kicked off with The Amazing and Exodus playing to a one all draw.
Travis Leitch (third minute) and Derwin Daw were the respective goal scorers for both teams. Next up was the Top Class/El Dorado encounter where Lambert left the crowd buzzing with his stunner which made Top Class look like a second tier lineup.
However, Bonny Hamilton got a double in the third and 18th minute of play, to see his team to victory. Teams Speightland and Rough and Rugged then emulated The Amazing/Exodus encounter by playing to a 1-1 draw in the third match. Michael Ramdelich (17th) and Jamie Wilson (10th) were the two goal-scorers.
Pokerburg turned back the challenges of Cherokee Park by inflicting a 2-1 defeat on their opponents, with Leon Guishard and Uroy Major finding the back of the net for the winners in the fifth and seventh minutes respectively, while Trevor Smith pulled one back for Cherokee Park in the 16th minute.
Thanks to Keon Bristol’s brace (18th and 19th minutes), Goal Getters rebounded from being down 0-1 at lemon time, to defeat Scheme 4-1 with Shawn Henry (11th) and A. Moore (14th) supporting Bristol, after Ryan Crandon sent Scheme into the lead in the third minute. Henry had a golden opportunity to nullify Crandon’s goal two minutes later, when he was asked to take a spot kick for his team which he missed. He made amends, however, on the resumption of play with a free kick that flew past Scheme’s defenders and nestled into the back of the net. Eagles must have scented their second victory of the tournament, when Dellon Charter rocked the net from a set play in the 5thminute.
A Floyd Major double scored in the 13th and 17th minutes respectively, pushed Trainline Warriors into the lead. Eon Rodrigues pulled one back for Eagles in the 18th minute. Despite a keen tussle for supremacy in the dying minutes of the game the referee’s whistle meant the two teams were forced to share the points. In the penultimate match of the night, Star Boyz, riding on the back of Marvin Benn’s double which was scored in the third and 15th minutes, along with Ralph Alexander’s fourth minute strike, guided Star Boyz to a 3-1 win over Street Vibes whose goal scorer was Domaine Angus in the sixth minute.
The final encounter was a 1-1 stalemate between Ripping Bullets and Barsenal, with Shawn Seaforth scoring for the former in the 12th minute while Matthew Whyte responded for the latter six minutes later.
