Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) All-Stars humiliated Elite League outfit Victoria Kings 9-0 when the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/Kashif and Shanghai Super-16 Championship continued yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.
The scoreline did illustrate the gap in quality between the two teams, although the Upper Demerara All-Stars were guilty of spurning several opportunities in a wasteful first-half display. However, their attacking line was still able to record three unanswered goals in the period to effectively seal the result.
The rout commenced in the second minute compliments of a Jamal Haynes header into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box after latching onto a headed pass from Kendolph Lewis, following a cornerkick from the left side of the field. Haynes made his presence felt once more, stabbing into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box, after evading a challenge from the final defender in the 31st minute to seal his brace.
Experienced midfielder Deshaun Joseph made it 3-0 in the 44th minute with a powerful left-footed shot from the top of the box into the lower right-hand corner.
The lopsided contest continued in the second half, as Kellon Primo scored in the 49th minute compliments of into the lower-left corner, after collecting a flat left-sided cross inside the centre of the 18 yard area.
Joseph then recorded his second to push the score to 5-0, latching onto a poor clearance before simply passing the ball into the empty net from outside the box into the lower right corner.
The shambolic performance of the East Coast Demerara unit continued in the 66th minute as Andre Mayers scored, uncorking a right-footed volley from inside the box into the left corner of the net.
A further three conversions from Qualon Andries, Shane Haynes, and Tyric McAllister in the 75th, 81st, and 86th minute completed the result for the Linden based outfit. Meanwhile, Georgetown All-Stars defeated East Coast Demerara All-Stars by a 3-1 score-line. Tequan Taylor opened the scoring in the fourth minute, stabbing into the back of the net from inside the penalty box.
However, Eion Abel responded fourth minutes later to level proceedings under similar circumstances, lashing his effort into the back of the net from inside the box. The sea-saw nature of the contest continued in the 40th minute, as Stephen Alfred propelled Georgetown into the lead, receiving a pass from Lennox Cort before placing his effort from inside the box into the right corner.
A horrendous goalkeeping error would seal the result in the 90th minute, as Shemar Welsh scored. A tame effort from 25 yards out in the centre of the field was inexplicably misjudged by the custodian as it slipped under his body and into the back of the net.
The winner of the tournament will pocket $2,000,000 and the championship trophy, while the runner-up will collect $1,000,000. On the other hand, the third and fourth place finishers will receive $500,000 and $250,000 respectively.
The tournament will resume on Friday with another doubleheader at the same venue. In the opening match, Buxton United will lock horns with Ann’s Grove at 18:30hrs, while Guyana Police Force (GPF) will take aim at Georgetown All-Stars from 20:30hrs.
