Alpha United and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will faceoff in the final of the Georgetown Football Association Banks Beer Cup, overcoming Western Tigers and Pele FC on Sunday in their respective semi-final engagements.
Alpha United defeated a nine member Western Tigers side 3-1 while GDF outflanked Pele 3-2 on penalty kicks after
normal and extra time ended 3-3 at the Georgetown Football Club venue. The two sides will now do battle on January 1st at the National Stadium Providence.
The ‘Hammers’ would begin the brighter of the two sides in the feature showdown, almost breaking the stalemate in the 12th minute as a Sheldon Holder header from the centre of the area following a right sided cross was cleared off the goal-line by centre-half Colin Nelson.
Captain Dwight Peters should have pushed Alpha ahead in the 23rd minute, lashing his first time attempt over the crossbar after latching onto a flat left sided cross within the centre of the area unchallenged.
Nonetheless a moment of indiscretion would lead to Western Tigers being reduced to 10 men in the 30th minute as captain Phillip Rowley was shown a straight red card, for striking midfielder Manuel Vargas behind the head with his elbow off the ball in the centre of the field.
Alpha would quickly capitalize on their numerical superiority, breaking the deadlock four minutes later compliments of a sublime Dwain Jacobs effort.
Receiving the ball within the left side of the box between the challenges of two defenders, Jacobs would unleash a well placed effort into the right hand side of the goal, leaving custodian Derick Carter rooted to the spot.
It would then go from bad to worse for Western Tigers as another moment of imprudence led to Rensford Coleridge being sent off in the 44th minute after being substituted into the matchup.
Receiving a yellow card for a reckless challenge in the centre of the field, Coleridge upon being booked would verbally abuse the official, earning himself a red card in the process and an a early shower.
The ‘Hammers’ would then double their lead 10 minutes into the second period as Gregory Richardson directed his headed attempt down the centre of the goal from within the middle of the area.
Despite being outmanned, Western Tigers would reduce the deficit to one in the 59th minute from the penalty mark as Devon Millington was brought down within the left side of the box by the right-back Adrian Adonis.
Tasked with taking the aforesaid spot-kick, Nelson would bury his effort clinically into the top right hand corner of the net.
However, that would be the closest they would get to overturning the score as Manasseh Primo sealed the win in the 76th minute, directing his first time effort into the top right hand corner, after racing across the centre of the box to receive a flat right sided cross.
In opening semi-final, Selwyn Isaacs broke the deadlock in favour of GDF as he netted in the ninth minute. The army lads would then make it 2-0 three minutes onward as Delroy Fraser found the back of the net.
However Pele would pull one back in the 24th minute compliments of a Deon Alfred conversion. The Camp Ayanganna side would quickly respond as Fraser netted his second of the evening six minutes later.
Nonetheless the match-up would require the extra time period as Alfred netted his brace in the 52nd minute. Unable to find a result in extra time, GDF would prevail in the penalty shoot-out as they netted thrice from the mark while reducing Pele to two conversions from the spot.
