Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Essequibo edition
A sudden downpour could not prevent the crowning of All-Stars as champions of the inaugural edition of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Essequibo leg, as they downed Ballerz 1-0 on Saturday evening at the Anna Regina Car Park tarmac.
The mammoth crowd that descended on the venue braved the aforesaid downpour that occurred in the dying moments of the evening to witness the crowning moment compliments of a D. Padmore strike.
Receiving the ball on the right side, Padmore slammed his effort into the back of the net to trigger wild celebrations among their energetic and animated supporters. The conversion proved to be enough for All-Stars who thwarted any attempts at a comeback via dogged defending to walk away with the top prize of $300,000 and the championship trophy. All-Stars also earned the right to represent the zone at the impending national championship, which is pencilled to commence in August in Georgetown.
On the other side, the spirited Ballerz unit walked away with $200,000 and the respective accolade. In the third-place playoff, Gunners defeated Henrietta United 2-0 on penalty kicks, following a scoreless affair.
Due to the outcome, Gunners received $100,000 and the third-place award, while the loser walked away with $80,000 and the corresponding trophy.
Meanwhile, in the earlier semifinal round, the All-Stars thrashed the Gunners 5-0. Padmore was once again at the heart of the team’s success, as he registered a first-half hat-trick in the fourth, fifth, and sixth minutes, while sibling K. Padmore amassed a ‘Guinness Goal’ (GG) [a goal scored in the final three minutes of normal time counts as two] in the 18th minute.
On the other hand, Ballerz overcame Henrietta 2-1 on penalty kicks following a scoreless regulation time interval. In the quarterfinal segment, the All-Stars recorded a 4-0 win over Suddie. D. Padmore crafted a brace in the lopsided encounter in the sixth and 13th minutes, with T. Isles adding to the score in the 16th minute. An own goal also added to the score in the 15th minute.
Meanwhile, Ballerz disarmed the Young Guns 2-1. The score at the end of regulation time was 0-0. Also, the Gunners blanked Henrietta 1-0. C. Smith recorded the only conversion of the evening as he found the back of the net in the 11th minute.
Meanwhile, a GG in the 18th minute by M. Bowen propelled Henrietta United to a 2-1 win over Chelsea. The Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ season will now head to Bartica. The other zones that are yet to be contested are West Demerara and East Coast Demerara. Presently, Georgetown, Berbice, and Linden have been completed.
Complete Results
Guinness Goal-(GG)-2
Final
All-Stars-1 vs Ballerz-0
D. Padmore-6th
3rd Place
Gunners-0 vs Henrietta
United-0
Gunners won 2-0 on penalty
kicks
Semifinal
Game-1
All-Stars-5 vs Gunners-0
D. Padmore-4th, 5th, and 6th
K. Padmore-GG-18th
Game-2
Ballers-0 vs Henrietta
United-0
Ballerz won 2-1 on penalty
kicks
Quarterfinals
Game-1
Henrietta-0 vs Gunners-1
C. Smith-11th
Game-2
Suddie-0 vs All-Stars-4
D. Padmore-6th and 13th
Own Goal-15th
T. Isles-16th
Game-3
Henrietta United-2 vs
Chelsea-1
Game-4
Young Guns-0 vs Ballerz-0
Ballerz won 2-1 on sudden
death penalty kicks
