It was a night highlighted by upset victories, a thrilling heavyweight stalemate and high scoring wins when the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Stag Beer Futsal tourney continued on Tuesday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue.
While Alpha United might have set the tone by registering the highest margin of victory thus far in the event by hammering Renaissance 13-1 in the opening affair, it was new kids on the block Black Water FC who recorded the first upset of the night, disarming the Guyana Police Force (GPF) 4-1 in the third fixture.
Stephon Christopher fired the first shot for the East Ruimveldt based outfit with clinical right footed strike into the lower left corner in the third minute.
Three minutes later Jermin Beckles would make it 2-0 through a brilliant piece of individual skill, turning the final defender inside then out before slotting home confidently to the left side of the goal to draw loud applause from the large gathering.
Not content with simply one goal, Beckles would add his name once more to the score sheet in the ninth minute with a poacher’s finish down the middle of the goal, after sliding full stretch within the right side of the box to meet a flat left sided cross.
Outgunned for the most parts, the lawmen finally registered their first shot on the proverbial target as Rawle Haynes netted in the 23rd minute, directing his attempt into the left side of the net from within the centre of the area.
However, any hope of the lawmen rescuing a positive result would be quickly extinguished as Collin Peters slammed a right footed strike into the lower left corner, after racing onto a pass on the right side of the wing.
With the win, Black Water moved onto three points and kept their chances alive of qualifying for the knockout stage following their opening defeat. GPF will now require a win in their final fixture to seal a berth to the final. They currently remain on three points.
Suffering a similar fate was the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who went down to Beacons 3-1 in the sixth matchup. Josiah Charles commenced the unlikely win in the fifth minute with a simple finish to the empty net, following a right sided Kimba Brathwaite pass.
A slice of luck would lead to Beacons taking a 2-0 lead in the 16th minute as powerfully struck Brathwaite effort from just outside the centre of the area, took a sharp deflection off the final defender, wrong-footing the GDF custodian before nestling into the right corner.
A lifeline would then be acquired by the Camp Ayanganna side as Eusi Phillips netted one minute later, placing his first time effort upon receiving a pass within the centre of the box, into the right hand side of the woodwork.
However like the lawmen before them, the soldiers would run out of ammunition as Brathwaite sealed his side’s win in the 23rd minute compliments of a powerful right footed strike into the roof of the goal, after cutting into the centre of the box from the right side of the field.
Due to the win, Beacons move onto three points from two games while GDF remain on zero points from one game. In the penultimate matchup of the night, Pele FC and Riddim Squad FC battled to a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Okeene Fraser piloted Pele into the early lead in the fifth minute with powerful right footed attempt into the top right hand corner, after pouncing on a botched defensive clearance within the centre of the box.
Pele would wrestle further control of the matchup from the Mocha based side as Godfrey Powers scored in the ninth minute, slotting his right footed effort following a left sided pass into right hand corner.
However, Amos Ramsay would then begin the comeback for Riddim Squad one minute later, blasting his attempt past the Pele custodian down the centre of the goal, after skipping past challenges from two Pele defenders within the left side of the area.
Steffon Hope would then be afforded a golden opportunity to draw his side level in the 12th minute after Pele conceded a penalty kick for receiving their sixth out of an allotted five fouls in the period.
With the weight of expectation on his shoulder and only the keeper in his path, Hope inexplicably lashed his right footed attempted high over the crossbar to signal the end of the first period.
Hope’s earlier miss from the mark seemed to galvanize the Mocha side as Orville Stewart levelled the matchup in the 13th minute, cutting into the box from the right side of the field before rifling his effort down the centre of the framework.
Nevertheless Pele would then fire back two minutes onward in the form of Calvin Shepherd who thumped his shot into the roof of the goal following a left sided pass into the box, leaving custodian Dorville Stewart rooted to the spot.
With only two minutes remaining, a further twist however would be in the tale as Teon Jones earned his side a deserve point through a 22nd minute shot down the middle of the goal to spark wild celebrations, after pouncing on loose ball unchallenged within the right side of the area.
Due to the draw, Pele and Riddim Squad both move onto four points each from two games apiece.
In other results, hat tricks from Jamal Codrington in the ninth, 12th and 20th minutes and Dwight Peters in the eighth, 13th and 14th minutes, powered Alpha United to a 13-1 humbling of Renaissance FC.
Supporting with doubles were Travis Grant in the second and seventh and Ronaldo Dover in the 21st and 22nd minutes while Kirk Duckworth netted in the 18th minute. Completing the score line were own goals in the first and 17th minutes respectively.
In the fifth game of the night, Western Tigers fell one goal short of replicating Alpha’s earlier exploits as they mauled Black Pearl 12-1. Registering a helmet trick in the fifth, sixth, 17th and 21st minutes was Stellon David while Randolph Wagner netted a hat trick in the first, 21st and 23rd minutes.
Sealing the score line with individual attempts in the 12th, 22nd, 24th, 25th and 26th minutes were Darren Benjamin, Phillip Rowley, Cleon Forrester, Joel Tyrell and Marvin Joseph correspondingly.
Santos FC edged Houston Stars 3-2 in the second engagement. Renault Fraser, Gavin Wilson and Andy Duke netted in the third, 19th and 22nd minutes respectively for the victors. On target for the losers were Eion Hunter and Joel Garrett in the second and 22nd minutes correspondingly.
The fourth matchup of the night witnessed the Georgetown Football Club crushing Northern Rangers 7-2 while defending champs Fruta Conquerors led by a Dwayne Lawrence double in the 15th and 17th minutes, overcame Flamingo 5-2 in the evening’s final matchup.
Eon Alleyne, Daniel Favourite and Kareem Knights were on target for the unbeaten side in the sixth, 22nd and 24th minutes respectively. Scoring for the losers were Sheldon Gorrick and Shem Porter in the 13th and 23rd minutes correspondingly.
The action is set to continue today at the same venue with nine slated matchups programmed to commence from 18:30hrs.
