Ballers secured the first win in the opening group night of the inaugural Guyana Beverage Company Busta Football championship, defeating Durban Street by a 6-5 score line last evening at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground.
Despite being witnessed by a small crowd, Steffon Ramsay gave Ballers the early lead in the fourth minute, striking his effort into the top left- hand corner from the centre of the field.
They would then double their lead one minute later thanks to a shot from sibling, Lyliton Ramsay into the lower right-hand corner.
Durban Street would eventually get on the score line in the eighth minute as Leon Kennedy netted through a free kick down the centre of the net in the eighth minute, from the left side of the penalty area.
The scores would then become 2-2 two minutes later as Germin Gilbert scored with a brilliant overhead kick into the right corner, after custodian Dorville Stewart parried two earlier strikes unfortunately into his path.
Ballers would quickly re-establish their lead in the 11th minute as another sibling Amos Ramsay scored with a flat left-footed strike down the middle of the goal, from within the area.
However Durban Street would go into the half time interval level as Quincy Ashby netted in the 15th through a penalty kick conversion, after being awarded the spot-kick following a clumsy challenge within the area.
Durban Street would then stun their opponents as they took the lead in the 17th minute with a simple finish into the empty goal, after an initial left-sided strike was deflected into the right side of the box.
Lyliton Ramsay would then level the score five minutes onward compliments of a powerful right-sided strike into the top right-hand corner of the net.
Ballers would go-ahead in the 22nd minute as Steffon Ramsay scored, lashing his attempt into the right-hand side from the centre of the area.
Steffon Ramsay would then further increase their lead in the 26th minute, slotting home unchallenged after collecting a right-sided pass within the left of the box.
Durban Street would eventually pull one back in the penultimate minute of the 30-minute fixture, rifling a powerful left-footed strike into the lower left-hand corner, after racing onto a loose ball in the centre of the field.
Meanwhile, in the second fixture, Tucville and Leopold Street battled to a 3-3 stalemate. Romello Fraser broke the deadlock in the fourth minute for Tucville, finishing into the empty net from the right side of the field, after stealing the ball from the keeper.
The score line would then be levelled in the sixth minute as Omallo Williams scored, lashing his powerful strike into the lower left-hand corner, after cutting back onto his favoured left leg from the right side of the field.
Leopold Street would then take the lead one minute later compliments of Andre Sookhoo’s effort, slotting home into the lower right corner, after an initial shot effort from Okeene Fraser was parried into his path.
The matchup would be levelled once more in the 11th minute as Reshawn Sandiford scored, lobbing his effort into the empty net from just over the centre of the field on the right side, after the opposing keeper passed the ball into his path following a free kick.
The back and forth nature of the fixture would continue in the second period as Williams netted his second, placing his effort into the top right-hand corner in the 23rd minute from outside the centre of the area.
Similar to the earlier exchanges, Tucville would equalise once again three minutes onward as Rafael Edwards scored, slotting his right-footed effort into the back of the net after receiving the ball in the centre of the box.
Up to press time, the other fixtures were being contested. Prior to the commencement of the tournament, Guyana Beverage Incorporated General Manager Robert Selman opened the event with the ceremonial kickoff from the half way mark.
The winner of the tournament will receive the championship trophy and $600,000. The second, third and fourth-placed sides will receive $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and trophies.
Following the end of the initial group stage, the winner of the group will receive $25,000 while the second, third and fourth finishers within the group will receive $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.
The other slated venues for the event are the Tucville Community ground and the Ministry of Education ground.
