Buxton Stars, led by a second-half conversion from Matthew Chidume, were crowned the East Coast Demerara ‘Sweet 16’ Football Champion, defeating Pele by a 1-0 score-line in the final at the Buxton Community Centre ground.
Scoreless at the end of the first half in front of a sizable crowd, Chidume settled the outcome with a moment of individual brilliance in the 78th minute.
Latching onto the ball 25 yards in the centre of the field, the wily forward uncorked a thunderous right-footed volley that flew into the back of the net, stunning the crowd and his teammates.
With the result, Buxton Stars pocketed $500,000 and the championship, while Pele pocketed $200,000 and the corresponding accolade.
Meanwhile, in the third-place playoff, Mahaica Determinators defeated Santos 4-2 on penalty kicks after regulation and extra time ended 1-1. Prior to the aforesaid conclusion, Glenrick Reynolds handed Mahaica the initial lead as he found the back of the net in the 13th minute.
However, Santos would fashion the equaliser in the form of Herman Gill, who etched his name on the scorer’s sheet in the 37th minute. Due to the outcome, Mahaica walked away with $100,000 and the corresponding accolade, while Santos pocketed $75,000 and the respective trophy.
Complete Results
Final
Buxton Stars-1 vs. Pele-0
Matthew Chidume-78th
3rd Place
Mahaica-1 vs. Santos-1
Mahaica won 4-2 on penalty kicks
Mahaica scorer
Glenrick Reynolds-13th
Santos scorer
Herman Gill-37th
