Laing Avenue upset defending champions Leopold Street 4-2 in the opening match of the Guinness Greatest of the Streets Georgetown Zone last evening at the Demerara Park tarmac at Industrial Site.
Anthony Abrams opened the scoring for the winners in the third minute with a powerful finish down the centre of the goal after receiving a left sided pass from the wily Fabian Crawford.
It would soon be 2-0 as Abrams completed his double two minutes later with a strike to the right-hand corner of the net after latching onto a rebounded Crawford effort from the centre of the field that came off the left post.
Omallo Williams would cut the deficit to one before the end of the first half with a simple tap-in to the left-hand corner from just outside the right post.
The second period would see the champions levelling the score line in sublime fashion as Williams completed his double with a pile driver of a strike down the middle of the goal, after evading the tackles of two markers.
However Leopold’s momentum would be extinguished as Abrams pushed his side back into the lead, sealing his hat trick in the 28th minute with a well-placed volleyed effort from just outside the penalty arc after collecting a lobbed pass from Crawford.
The result would be sealed one minute later as Crawford found the back of the net with a cheeky finish between the legs of the final defender after receiving the ball in a one-on-one situation.
In the second matchup, South Sophia crushed Norton Street-East by a 3-0 score line in their Group H showdown. Akeem Jaikissoon opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a strike to the bottom left-hand corner.
Ryan O’Selmo would double Sophia’s lead one minute later with a perfectly placed right-footed strike to the back of the net from 15 yards out.
The win would be sealed in the 24th minute of the second period as Jaikissoon completed his double with a simple tap to the back of the net from the left side, after collecting a right-sided pass from Sheik Kamal in a two-on-one situation.
