Fruta Conquerors overcame Trinidad and Tobago institution Fyzabad Secondary 5-4 on sudden death kicks in a u-19 male matchup when the latter’s two-day tour of Guyana concluded on Sunday at the Tucville Community ground.
With the matchup scoreless at the end of normal time and no extra time interval allotted, the penalty shoot-out was required to decide the outcome. First up to the mark was Ryan Hackett of Fruta Conquerors who made no mistake by placing his effort into the lower left corner.
Nashawn Simon then equalised for the visitors in their first attempt as he netted into the left side of the net. The score then became 2-2 in the second round as Jeremy Garrett scored for Fruta Conquerors while Ronaldo London scored for Fyzabad Secondary.
The home side would suffer a setback in the third round as custodian Dennis Edwards fired their third attempt wide of the left corner. The Trinidad and Tobago unit quickly capitalised as Jameel Dubarry blasted his effort into the back of the net to take a 3-2 advantage.
Fruta Conquerors would equalise in the fourth round as Keith Fletcher placed his effort into the lower left corner. However, Fyzabad Secondary maintained their lead as they netted from the spot in the fourth round compliments of Nkosi Charles.
Needing to score to keep his side in the matchup, Rafael Edwards thumped his effort into the roof of the right corner, keeping his side’s hopes alive in the process.
Only needing a conversion in their fifth attempt to seal the win for the visitors, Yohannes Richardson would disappoint as he fired his right-footed shot onto the crossbar, much to the joy of the medium-size partisan crowd as the fixture headed into the sudden death round.
Tasked with the responsibility of taking the first sudden death kick, Fruta Conqueror’s LaVaughn Boodie clinically dispatched his effort into the lower right hand corner.
Requiring a conversion to push the match into the next round, David Neptune would see his left-footed effort denied by Edwards low to his right, sealing his team’s defeat in the process.
With the loss, Fyzabad Secondary’s male side finished their tour with a 0-2 record after losing their opening fixture to Buxton United by a 2-0 margin on Saturday. On the other hand, their female u-19 side finished their campaign with a perfect 2-0 record.
Prior to the shoot-out, Shamar Barrow fashioned the best chance of the first half in favour of the home side in the 29th minute as his curling right-footed shot from 20 yards in the centre of the field, was parried to safety smartly by the Fyzabad custodian.
The visitors fashioned their best chance on goal in the 54th minute as Alleric Williams forced a save from Edwards from just outside the top of the box.
Stephon Tannis would then be denied from breaking the deadlock for the visitors in the 69th minute as his right footed goal-bound shot was blocked by final defender Rafael Edwards after pouncing on a spilt ball from the custodian following a left-sided cross within the box.
Similarly Boodie almost gave the home side the lead in the 84th minute as his right-footed effort was denied by the onrushing keeper after racing onto a Dwayne Lindy through pass within the left side of the penalty box.
The tour which was funded the Guyana Beverage Company, coincided with Fruta Conquerors FC’s eighth annual summer developmental programme.
