The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) overcame Linden side Winners Connection 3-2 when action in the inaugural Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Premier League continued on Sunday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda.
Kevin Lewis, Selwyn Williams and Stevie Petrie netted for the army side in the 53rd, 60th and 72nd minutes respectively while Rene Gibbons was on target for losers in the third and 16th minutes.
Utilizing a game plan of counter-attacking the army side, Winners Connection would take the lead minutes into proceedings through an absolute gem of a strike by Gibbons.
Running onto a perfectly played Rawle Gittens through pass on the left side of the field, Gibbons, upon collecting the ball, would let loose a powerful left-footed first time effort from 24 yards out that nestled into the right hand corner of the goal.
Delwyn Fraser almost levelled the score line in the 10th minute as his right footed freekick from just outside the centre of the 18-yard area sailed just over the crossbar. Gibbons would double the Linden unit’s lead six minutes later, completing a wonderful double in sublime fashion.
Once again the recipient of well-played Gittens forward pass on the left side of the park, Gibbons would evade the lunging challenge of his marker before placing his effort from the left side of the box into the right hand side of the goal.
Struggling to penetrate the dogged backline of the Linden side, GDF skipper Kennard Simon almost pulled one back in the 37th minute, thumping his right footed 28-yard effort just wide of the left upright.
The beginning of the second stanza almost saw Winners Connection adding to their score line in the 47th minute as Kevin Fugenay’s dipping right footed drive from outside the box flew narrowly over the crossbar.
In what would develop into a game of two halves, the army unit would narrow the deficit to one as Lewis found the back of the net with a deflected strike from inside the penalty area that wrong footed the goalkeeper.
It would soon be a level encounter as Williams etched his name on the scorer’s sheet seven minutes later, tapping home just outside the right post after latching onto a deflected right sided cross.
The comeback would be completed 12 minutes later as Petrie netted with a simple finish from inside the left side of the box after fortuitously receiving a right sided cross that crashed into the left upright and fell into his path.
Petrie almost doubled his side’s lead in the 86th minute as he forced an acrobatic save from Winners Connection’s Compton Burnett to his right to deny him.
The Linden side nearly levelled the contest in the 89th minute from a Gittens freekick from outside the centre of the area, only for his resulting effort to sail just over the crossbar.
In the opening fixture of the doubleheader, BK Western Tigers edged Grove Hi-Tech 1-0 through a Hubert Pedro 30th minute effort.
In other results, Alpha United, led by goals from Anthony Abrams and Gregory Richardson in the 17th and 72nd minutes respectively defeated home side Buxton United 2-0.
The opening game of the doubleheader saw Linden’s Milerock FC defeating Mahaica Determinators 3-1. Mark Moses, Clarence Huggins and Denzil Fordyce netted for the victor’s in the 23rd, 37th and 42nd minutes respectively.
On target in a losing cause was Sherwin Hermonstine in the 64th minute. At the Den Amstel ground, home side Den Amstel Porknockers crushed Santos FC 5-2 led by a Delon Lanferman double in the 37th and 55th minutes.
Andre Hector, Jeffrey Perreira and Aubrey Cummings completed the result with goals in the 59th, 77th and 90th+4 minute respectively while Michael Pedro bagged a brace for the losers in the 47th and 88th minutes respectively.
Riddim Squad in their earlier fixture squeaked past Young Achievers 1-0 compliments of a Amos Ramsay strike in the 30th minute.
In Berbice at the No. #5 ground, New Amsterdam United led by a Adrian Adams hat trick in the 16th, 25th and 35th minutes humbled Silver Shattas 5-1. Kelvin Joseph and younger sibling Leonardo Adams added to the score line in the 76th and 90th+4 minute respectively.
Scoring for the losers was Colwyn David in the 43rd minute. In the second matchup of the evening, Rosignol United went down to East Coast side Beterverwagting (BV)/Triumph United by a 2-0 margin.