A second half hat-trick from rising star Tyrell Khan propelled Soesdyke Falcons into the semi-finals of the annual Hamilton Green Football tournament after they soared past Ann’s Grove 5-2 on Saturday at the Victoria Community ground.
The large crowd that descended on the venue was treated to an individual performance to remember as Khan, following his introduction, destroyed the Ann’s Grove backline, scoring three goals in the space of 11 minutes.
It could have easily been four goals for the diminutive attacker if not for a spurned penalty kick in the 81st minute. However, Khan was forgiven for the unexpected blunder, as he pushed his side into a 2-1 lead with a 60th minute strike.
Kelly Boston then made his presence felt, increasing the advantage to 3-1 for the ‘giant killers’ (they defeated Mahaica 4-2 in the previous match), compliments of a 67th minute conversion.
Ann’s Grove pulled one back two minutes later in the enthralling contest, with Tyreek Cummings etching his name on the scorer’s sheet, giving the partisan crowd a glimmer of hope for a comeback win.
However, from here on it was the Khan show, with two goals tallied in the space of a minute. It was a body blow that knocked the wind out of the Ann’s Grove sails, as his double was sealed in the 70th minute.
Khan then returned one minute later to complete his triple strike, with a clinical finish inside the penalty box. Prior to the dramatic second half, Nikena Print had handed Ann’s Grove the lead through a 28th minute effort.
Soesdyke Falcons levelled the match in the 40th minute when Colin McLean netted. Up to press time, the three remaining quarterfinal matches were being staged at the same venue. The first matchup featured Uitvlugt against Linden unit Milerock.
The second contest was scheduled to pit the Guyana Police Force (GPF) against Silver Shattas, with the match showdown programmed between Den Amstel and Winners Connection.
The eventual victor of the tournament will receive $500,000 and the Minister of Citizenship Trophy. Meanwhile, the runners-up will pocket $250,000 and the Busta Trophy.
The third place finisher will collect $150,000 and the John Fernandes accolade, while the fourth place outfit will walk away with $100,000 and the Cummings Electrical Trophy.
