In a climax befitting a national final, Slingerz FC was crowned the inaugural Vitamalt /Aqua Mist sponsored WDFA knockout champs after defeating Den Amstel 4-1 on penalty kicks Friday at the Den Amstel Community ground.
After 90 minutes of play the score was 1-1.
With the crowd encircling the penalty shoot-out in an opportunity to get a better view, Slingerz would begin the lottery in the best possible manner as Captain Tichard Joseph led from the front, burying his right footed effort into the left hand corner.
Den Amstel, upon the encouragement of the partisan crowd, duly responded levelling the shoot-out as custodian Ryan Hunt sent his opposite number the wrong way with a clinical strike into the lower corner.
Defender Colin Nelson would push the Vergenoegen giants back into the lead, netting his side’s second attempt to the left half of the goal to give their small fandom a reason to celebrate.
The Slingerz fans would then be given another reason to celebrate as Travis Hilliman failed to hit the target in Den Amstel’s second attempt from the distance, curling his right footed effort wide of the right corner, much to the displeasure of their angry following.
Joshua Browne would then put further daylight between the arch rivals, finishing his right footed attempt clinically to the lower left side.
It would then go from bad to worse for the home side in the third round as forward Delon Lanferman thumped his right footed strike wide of the left post, further disappointing the large viewership.
Merely needing to score to seal the inaugural title, dapper forward Devon Millington would not disappoint as he rifled his effort past Hunt to commence the festivities. With the win, Slingerz walked away with the championship trophy and $1,000,000.
The home side for their showing received the second place accolade and $500,000. In the individual section, Hilliman was adjudged to be the event’s most valuable player while Joao Filho of Slingerz was selected as the event’s best custodian.
Jointly adjudged the event’s highest goal scorers with five goals apiece were Lanferman and Andre Hector of Den Amstel.
In the earlier scrimmages, Millington silenced the home crowd in the third minute, lashing his first time right footed effort into the lower left corner, after a botched attempted clearance fell fortuitously into his path within the left side of the box.
Lanferman would fashion Den Amstel’s first attempt on target in the 17th minute, rifling a powerful 26-yard free kick from the centre of the field, narrowly over the crossbar.
The home crowd would begin to make their presence felt in the 28th minute as Hilliman headed a right sided corner kick just over the crossbar from within the right side of the area.
Buoyed by their rapid support, Den Amstel would net the equalizer 11 minutes later through another sublime Hilliman move.
Lurking within the right side of the box, the stoutly built Hilliman would direct his headed attempt from a right sided corner kick down the centre of the goal, to send the home crowd into wild celebrations on the field.
With both sides unable to fashion any clear cut chances in the robust second period, Joseph almost stole the win for the Vergenoegen unit but he was denied by the woodwork in the 14th minute of extra time.
Receiving the ball 23 yards from the centre of the field, the combative midfielder would unleash a powerful effort that cannoned off the left upright, much to the relief of the Den Amstel faithful as the fixture meandered to its eventual exciting conclusion.
In the third place playoff, Pouderoyen FC downed Uitvlugt Warriors by a 3-1 margin. Keon Duke opened the scoring for Uitvlugt Warriors in the third minute through a penalty conversion following an infringement within the area.
However, Pouderoyen would level the score line in the 18th minute as Marvin Frank netted, finishing his effort to the back of the net from within the area, after latching onto a through pass.
Lloyd Prince would then push Pouderoyen ahead in the 43rd minute, placing his effort to the lower right hand corner from within the left side of the penalty area.
The victory would then be sealed in the 72nd minute as Prince netted his second of the evening, slotting home unchallenged in the centre of the six yard area, after rounding the onrushing keeper following a forward pass.
With the win, Pouderoyen walked away with $300,000 and the respective accolade while Uitvlugt received $200,000 and the fourth place trophy.
