Monedderlust FC secured their second win of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Stag Beer Elite League, overcoming the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) by a 2-1 margin on Saturday at the No. #5 ground in Berbice.
Travis Henry and Kevin Cottoy were the difference makers for the Berbicians with strikes in the 25th and 44th minutes respectively. On target in the loss was Mikhail Stewart in the 10th minute. With the win, the home side move into the fifth position with six points.
The Bourda-based outfit on the other hand, drop to the seventh position and remain on three points.
Despite the large home support, it was the visitors that started the brighter of the two sides and should have taken the lead in the sixth minute but Romario Welcome was denied in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper after racing onto a lobbed pass within the left side of the box. The Georgetown unit quickly built on their early momentum and snatched the lead four minutes later as Stewart finished into the lower right hand corner from within the left side of the box, after racing onto a pass.
Nonetheless GFC’s lead would be short-lived as Henry snatched the equaliser in dramatic fashion 15 minutes later, sending the crowd into a frenzy with a strike from 22 yards outside the left of the penalty box, which crashed into the lower right hand corner, catching the defence off guard.
Similarly, GFC almost retook the lead in the 42nd minute but a thunderous right footed strike from Stewart crashed into the left upright and flew across the goal-line, much to the disbelief of the visitors.
The Bourda-based side felt they had found the go-ahead goal one minute later as the netted following a goal-mouth scramble, only for the assistant referee to raise the flag signalling the infraction.
The home side quickly capitalized on their opponent’s misfortune moments later, adding insult to injury as Cottoy scored, racing onto a right side cross in the centre of the park before dribbling the ‘keeper who raced out the 18-yard area and finishing into the empty net.
In search of the equalizer in the second stanza, GFC’s Lyndon Dorway was denied by the ‘keeper low to his right in the 62nd minute compliments of a first time strike within the left side of the box, after racing onto a cross from the right side of the field.
Similarly, the home side almost increased their lead in the 69th minute as Cottoy, upon stealing the ball from the final defender and racing into the left side of the box, flashed his effort wide of the lower right corner, with only the goalkeeper in his path. The chances continued to emerge for the home side two minutes onward as forward Lester Cummings was denied in a one-on-one situation by the custodian Derick Carter within the penalty box.
On the opposite side, Romario Welcome nearly grabbed the equaliser in the 80th minute, shaking off challenge of his marker while racing into the right side of the penalty area, only to fire his effort into the side-netting.
The best chance for the visitors then fell to Kurt Johnson in the 85th minute, who upon collecting a left side pass from Kelsey Benjamin within the centre of the box, fired his effort over the crossbar.
Likewise, the home side failed to capitalize on their chances as Cummings was denied once more by the goalkeeper in the 87th minute in another one-on-one situation, striking the ball tamely at the advancing shot-stopper.
It would not be third time lucky for Cummings who failed to convert with only the keeper in his path once again in the 90th minute as his effort was tipped around the right upright within the centre of the box.
Despite his inability to find the back of the net, the hosts held on to secure the hard-fought contest. In the opening fixture, Slingerz FC defeated Buxton United 2-0.
Winner of the round will pocket $4,000,000 while the second, third and fourth place teams will collect $2,000,000, $1,000,000 and $500,000 respectively. Similarly, the point’s leader prior to the knockout stage in the League Genesis round will pocket an additional $1,000,000
