It was an evening of upsets as Coomacka and Topp XX battled to hard fought wins when the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) year-end championships started on Friday.
Staged at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC), Linden, Coomacka overcame Net-rockers 2-1 in a match which required extra time to decide the outcome.
The match started brightly for the underdogs who broke the deadlock in the sixth minute compliments of a Jamal Whyte strike. The conversion, a simple finish into the back of the net, came after Whyte received a pass inside the penalty box.
This lead was maintained to the halftime interval. However, the second half witnessed Net-rockers fashioning the equalizer in the 68th minute through Denzil Pryce. It was a brilliant strike from the burly forward who uncorked a right foot volley into the back of the net after latching onto a corner kick inside the penalty area.
With a winner unable to be found at the end of regulation time, extra time was required to decide the outcome. The eventual result was a Coomacka win when Kerston Thom scored in the 96th minute.
Racing into the penalty area after latching onto a long ball, Thom rounded the onrushing the goalkeeper before finishing into the back of the net to seal the unlikely victory. On a similar note, Topp XX edged Botofago 1-0. Veteran midfielder Travis Watterton secured the unlikely result for the home side as he scored in the 26th minute.
It was a finish reminiscent of yesteryear as Watterton uncorked a powerful right foot free-kick from 30 yards in the center of the field which fizzed past the goalkeeper and settled into the right hand corner.
The tournament continues today at the same venue with another doubleheader. In the opening match, Hi-Stars will battle Winners Connection from 19:00hrs while the feature match will pit Aroiama against Amelia Ward Panthers at 21:00hrs.
The competition continues of December 18th, 20th, 23rd and 26th with the semifinals pegged for the 29th. The grand final will occur on January 1st.
Complete Results
Game-1
Topp XX-1 vs Botofago-0
Travis Watterton-26th
Game-2
Coomacka-2 vs Net-rockers-1
Coomacka Scorers
Jamal Whyte-6th
Kerston Thom-96th
Net-rockers Scorer
Denzel Pryce-68th
