In preparation for their international friendly against Suriname on February 21, the Golden Jaguars overcame Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United 4-3 in their first practice match Friday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda.
Vurlon Mills, Devon Millington, Travis Grant and Eon Alleyne scored for the national outfit in the seventh, 45th, 58th and 65th minutes respectively.
For Alpha, Delon Lanferman netted a brace in the 16th and 34th minutes while Anthony `Awo’ Abrams scored in the 85th minute.
Opting for a starting XI featuring Gregory Richardson, Millington, Mills, Dwayne Lindie, Trevon Lythcott, Kester Joseph, Mark McLean, Linden Picketts, Grant, Alleyne and custodian Alwyn McDonald, the national unit took the lead when Mills netted following a goal-keeping blunder.
Racing into the centre of the area, Mills pounced on a loose ball after a left sided Alleyne cross was dropped by custodian Alex Murray, and slotted the ball home unchallenged.
Lanferman almost leveled proceedings in the 13th minute for Alpha United, forcing a smart save from McDonald low to his right with his powerful strike from the right side.
The ‘Hammers’ eventually equalised three minutes later, Lanferman converting a penalty into the lower right corner after a clumsy challenge within the right side of the box.
Alpha United then snatched the unlikely lead 11 minutes before the end of the first period as Lanferman slotted home unchallenged into the lower left corner from inside the box, after collecting a pass from the right side.
However, parity was restored to proceedings on the stroke of half time as Millington scored, lobbing his shot from within the left side of the box over the advancing goalkeeper down the centre of the net.
Richardson almost gave the national unit the lead one minute into the second stanza but his powerful header from the centre of the box, following an Eon Alleyne right sided cross was parried away by the custodian.
The national squad eventually grabbed the go-ahead goal 12 minutes later compliments of a volley into the lower right corner from Grant, who pounced on a loose ball following a goal-mouth scramble.
It then became 4-2 seven minutes onward as Alleyne stabbed his effort into the bottom right corner after latching onto a loose ball within the six yard area.
Veteran midfielder Konata Manning should have made it 5-2 in the 82nd minute, racing into the right side of the box only to fire his effort into the legs of the advancing goalkeeper.
Alpha United ultimately pulled one back three minutes later as the evergreen Abrams, upon racing into the left side of the box, dribbled the onrushing ‘keeper before slotting into the centre of the net.
Under the guidance of the Head-Coach Jamaal Shabazz, Guyana will oppose Suriname February 21 at the Providence National Stadium.
Guyana’s most recent meeting with the Dutch nation resulted in a 1-0 defeat.
The Golden Jaguars have been drawn in Group-5 of the 2016/17 CFU Caribbean Cup tournament which will be contested March-21st-29th.
The other members of the group are Puerto Rico and Anguilla. The likes of Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago will not participate during the opening period due to their ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Round two of the event is set to commence in May with the third round scheduled to begin in October. The fifth place playoff will take place in November while the grand finale will occur in May of 2017.
The top four teams at the conclusion of the event will qualify for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Guyana’s last international fixture came against St. Vincent and the Grenadines during the failed 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Campaign last June.
The 2014 edition of the event witnessed Guyana making a first round exit, losing twice and securing one draw in their matches with an inexperienced side featuring predominantly local players many of whom were making their debuts.
