New Amsterdam (NA) United edged the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) 5-4 on penalty kicks after normal time ended 0-0 when the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Premier League continued on Sunday at the Georgetown Football Club ground, Bourda.
Kennard Simon almost opened the scoring for the Georgetown side in the ninth minute, with a powerfully struck effort from the left side of the field that fizzed just wide of the bottom right hand corner.
A great chance to open the scoring would fall to NA United’s Kelvin Joseph in the 17th minute. Lurking inside the centre of the penalty area, Joseph upon receiving a flat right-footed cross lashed his hurried attempt over the crossbar.
The army side would be denied by the woodwork in the 29th minute from opening the scoring as a lobbed effort from just inside the penalty box by Simon, came crashing off the crossbar.
However the crossbar would come to the rescue of the army side in the 41st minute, as an attempted defensive header by Devon Harris following a NA United left-sided cross, was inadvertently directed onto his own crossbar.
The Berbice unit would continue their competent showing as Ron Lyken almost got the opener in the 53rd minute with a left-sided strike from within the penalty area that sailed just wide of the right post.
A glorious opportunity to break the deadlock would fall to Simon in the 72nd minute. Waiting inside the centre of the penalty area, Simon would lash his effort inexplicably wide of the right post as frustration began to creep into the side.
Denied previously by the crossbar in the opening half, the army would once again feel hard done by the woodwork in the 84th minute.
Stealing the ball off the foot of NA United’s Leonardo Adams in the midfield, Desford Williams upon cutting inside the left half of the penalty area, unleashed a powerful flat strike that cannoned into the right upright and sped across the centre of the goal mouth.
Unable to separate the two sides in normal time, a penalty shoot-out was required to decide the outcome. Asked to kick second during the shoot-out, NA United would display a clinical approach as they buried all five of their allocated penalties to overcome the army.
In the earlier match-up, Beterverwagting (BV)/Triumph United defeated Grove Hi-Tech 5-3 on penalty kicks after normal time ended 2-2. Reon Johnson bagged a pair of goals in the 29th and 79th minutes for the East Coast unit.
Netting for the losers in the 82nd and 85th minutes respectively were Moses Fraser and Dominic Garnett. At the Buxton Community ground on the East Coast of Demerara, Alpha United defeated Mahaica Determinators 2-0 while home side Buxton United edged Milerock 1-0.
Over at the Den Amstel ground, home side Den Amstel Porknockers were defeated by Rosignol United 2-1. In the second matchup of the doubleheader, Santos squeaked past Young Achievers 2-1.
In Linden at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground, BK Western Tigers crushed Silver Shattas by a 4-0 score line while Winners Connection edged Riddim Squad 2-1 in the opening matchup.
