Eagles United clinched their maiden Upper Demerara Football Association [UDFA]/‘GT-Beer’ Championship, downing Net-Rockers 2-1 on Monday at the Mackenzie Sports Club [MSC] ground, Linden.
The fixture was a meeting of the two unbeaten sides with the last meeting ending in a 1-1 stalemate in the previous UDFA League Championship.
Colwyn Drakes, the event’s eventual Most Valuable Player [MVP], broke the deadlock in the 103rd minute of extra time, after the respective strike-forces struggled to breakdown the opposing rear-guards in a scoreless regulation time interval, which was highlighted by two red cards.
Eagles FC ‘guest player’ Sheldon Holder was issued with his marching orders in the 80th minute for dissent while Hussain Cumberbatch departed the field two minutes later after picking up his second yellow card.
The aforesaid incidents afforded the respective forwards more space in the final third, with Drakes snatching the opening goal via a moment of brilliance.
Receiving the ball on the touch line, Drakes skipped past several defenders while bearing down on the penalty area, before uncorking a powerful shot into the far corner.
Deon Charter made it 2-0, as he etched his name on the scorer’s sheet in the 116th minute. Racing into a lobbed past which evaded the back-line, the nippy Charter headed the bouncing ball past the advancing goal-keeper down the centre of the net.
Net-Rockers eventually pulled one back in the 118th minute compliments of a Deshawn Joseph strike.
The experienced midfielder uncorked a curling free-kick from the top of the 18 yard
box which struck Clive Nobrega’s hand, wrong-footing the experienced goalkeeper Travis ‘Zoti’ Bess and settling into the back of the net.
However, any hopes of Net-Rockers securing a comeback was extinguished one minute later as Orandy Wills was red-carded.
Eagles received $1,200,000 and the championship trophy while the losing finalist walked away with $600,000 and the corresponding accolade.
Meanwhile, Winners Connection overcame Botofago 3-2. Shaquille France, Stanford Bovell and Cedric Hunte scored in the second, 65th and 106th minute respectively.
For Botofago, siblings Shayne and Jamal Haynes netted in the 47th and 54thminute respectively.
Winners Connection pocketed $400,000 and a trophy, while the loser collected $200,000 and a trophy.
Complete Results
Final
Eagles-2 vs Net-Rockers-1
Eagles Scorers
Colwyn Drakes-103rd
Deon Charter-116th
Net-Rockers Scorer
Deshawn Joseph-118th
3rd Place
Winners Connection-3 vs Botofago-2
Winners Scorers
Shaquille France-2nd
Stanford Bovell-65th
Cedric Hunte-106th
Botofago Scorers
Shayne James-47th
Jamal Haynes-54th
