A second half blitz led by a Hubert Pedro hat-trick and a Dennis Edwards double powered Fruta Conquerors to a 6-2 rout of the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) when the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Stag Beer Elite League continued yesterday.
Staged at the No.#5 ground in Berbice, Pedro recorded his tally in the 52nd, 53rd and 80th minutes while Edwards netted his brace in the 51st and 62nd minutes to decide the encounter. Initially opening the scoring for Conquerors was Shaquille Agard in the 20th minute.
On target in the loss was Romario Welcome and Linden Picketts in the 44th and 90th+3 minute respectively. As a result of the win, Fruta Conquerors maintained their grip on the second position with 16 points. On the other hand, GFC remain in the cellar place on one point.
While the score line may give the impression of a lopsided encounter, the matchup during the first half was evenly contested. Agard gave the Tucville unit the lead compliments of a wonder strike.
Stealing the ball on the left side from a defender, the nippy forward upon racing into the left side of the box, cut across the trailing defender before rifling a powerful effort into the top right hand corner.
However, Welcome levelled proceedings one minute before the end of the first period, finishing past the advancing keeper from the left side of the box into the lower right corner, after racing onto a through pass from Kelsey Benjamin.
Nonetheless the contest quickly became a game of two halves as Edwards netted, tapping home unchallenged from inside the box, after an initial free-kick from Pedro 26 yards out in the centre of the field, crashed into the crossbar and fell into his onrushing path.
The ensuing blitz continued one minute later as Pedro grabbed his first, racing onto a through pass from Jahaal Greaves within the centre of the box, before finishing into the lower left hand corner.
Pedro then made it 3-1 moments onward compliments of a lobbed shot over the advancing keeper from the left side of the box, following another through pass from Greaves.
The goals continued to be found for the Tucville-based unit as Edwards recorded his double, lashing his effort into the roof of the net from within the six-yard area, following a goal mouth scramble.
The five-goal blitz was eventually completed 10 minutes before the end of normal time as Pedro sealed his third, unleashing a powerful right foot attempt into the top right corner, after racing into the right side of the area.
Blown away by the quick fire strikes, GFC eventually pulled one back in the dying seconds as Picketts netted from the penalty mark down the centre of the net, after being awarded the spot-kick for a handball infraction.
Meanwhile at press time, the matchup between Monedderlust and Guyana Defence Force was ongoing. Action is slated to continue at the same venue on April 1st.
Upon the conclusion of the League Finale round, the top four finishers in terms of points will face off against each other in single knockout format to decide the winner of the round.
The semi-final round will commence on May 12th while the finale and third place playoff will occur on May 23rd. The point’s leader will face-off with the fourth-placed side while the second positioned club will tackle the third positioned unit at a venue to be announced.
Winner of the League Finale 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 Finale round will pocket an additional $1,000,000.
