A sublime Gregory Richardson free kick in the dying minutes secured Pele FC a hard-fought 2-2 draw with arch-rivals Alpha ‘the Hammer’ United when the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Stag Beer Elite League continued on Wednesday.
The large gathering at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground in Bourda was treated to a moment of sheer quality as talisman Richardson came back to haunt his former side with the 87th minute conversion.
Awarded a free kick 24 yards from goal following a handball infraction by Quincy Madramootoo, Richardson sent the entire venue into a frenzy as he curled his right-footed effort into the left hand corner, sealing his double and a valuable point in the process.
Due to the draw, Pele moved to the top of the standings with four points from two games. On the other hand, the Georgetown outfit still awaits their first win in the event as they sit on two points from as many matches.
Prior to the fixture’s dramatic ending, Pele took the early lead in the 10th minute, stunning their rivals as a tame Richardson header from the right side of the box following a left-sided cross, hit the ground and bounced into the left side of the net.
On the other end, Alpha United almost equalised in the 20th minute as an unchallenged Delon Lanferman directed his header wide of the right corner, after collecting a left-sided cross from Grenadian international Kithson Bain.
The ‘Hammer’ eventually grabbed the equaliser nine minutes onward in spectacular fashion as captain Daniel Wilson scored via a well-placed right-footed volley into the lower left hand corner, giving custodian Devon Charles no chance.
While Wilson’s finish must be applauded, the goal was orchestrated by the Grenadian who skipped past Shem Arthur on the left flank, before crossing the ball into the right side of the box for Lanferman, who passed it to Wilson in the centre to smash home into the net.
Pele should have regained the lead in the 34th minute in the form of Deon Alfred as a poor attempted shot from a 34-yard Richardson free kick, fell into the unmarked path of the former in the left side of the box, only for him to lash his effort over the crossbar with only the keeper in his path.
That miss would prove to be costly as Alpha United grabbed the go-ahead goal compliments of a flicked on header from Sherwin Skeete four minutes later. Skeete rose high in the six-yard box to direct his attempt into the right hand corner, following a left-sided cross from a William Europe free kick.
The resumption of the second period saw Alpha United utilizing a defensive posture to maintain their one goal advantage. This approach encouraged Pele to throw bodies forward in search of the equaliser.
Pele’s attempt to restore parity to the proceedings almost materialised in the 69th minute as a left-sided cross into the area was dropped by custodian Dorville Stewart into the path of Jumane Somerset, who inexplicably missed the ball completely in his effort at a shot, allowing the keeper to recover and punch the ball to safety.
Similarly, Europe fashioned the ‘Hammer’s best effort of the half in the 80th minute as his powerful left-footed strike from within the left side of the box, was kept out of the goal by Charles.
The aforementioned moment served to inspire Pele as they grabbed the equaliser seven minutes later through Richardson. In the opening fixture of the evening, home side GFC held West Demerara outfit Slingerz FC to a scoreless draw.
The winner of the round will pocket $4 million while the second, third and fourth place teams will collect $2 million $1 million and $500,000 respectively. Similarly, the point’s leader prior to the knockout stage in the League Genesis round will pocket an additional $1 million.
