Broad Street ‘B’ and Albouystown ‘A’ to contest finals
… Small – joint top goalscorer
FOLLOWING four sudden-death penalty shootouts and two magnificent extra time goals, Broad Street ‘B’ and Albouystown ‘A’ have earned the right to clash in the final of the second annual Banks DIH Guinness ‘Greatest of De Streets’ football tournament. Broad Street ‘B’ came back from losing their inspirational skipper Jimmy Gravesande, to defeat Alexander Village 10-9 (2-2) on penalty kicks, while Devon Small joined his teammate Devon Dooker as the tournaments’ leading goalscorer with his two extra time goals that gave Albouystown ‘A’ a 2-0 victory over West Front Road (WFR).
Having witnessed a Georgetown female team defeat their East Coast counterparts 2-1, thanks to Andrea Ashley’s brace, fans gathered at the National Park were treated to some enthralling action from the four teams.
The Broad Street ‘B’/Alexander Village matchup was to some, the final of the tournament, since both teams displayed a hunger for success, none more so than the eventual winners who bombarded their opponents’ goal with numerous shots.
From one of their attack modes, Broad Street ‘B’ got their first goal when Rocky Gravesande stole the ball on the right from Alexander Village’s Shem Porter and fired a first-time shot that beat Quincy Bourne in the 6th minute.
Three minutes later and Sherwin Smith made it 2-0 for his team when he found the back of the net from a goal-mouth scrimmage, before Leon Yaw of Alexander Village, who went into the match with six goals to his name, scored his seventh from a goal-mouth scrimmage.
Broad Street ‘B’ found themselves in foul trouble from which they gave their opponents the equaliser courtesy of a penalty taken by Delon Williams on the stroke of halftime.
With the scores level and the crowd fully in tune with the game, both teams took the playing area for the second half, following which Broad Street ‘B’ were reduced to three players when Jimmy Gravesande was giving marching orders by referee Roy McArthur following his second caution.
Despite being a man down, Broad Street ‘B’ fought tooth and nail with their opponents for the four-minute period, during which both Yaw and Bourne missed opportunities to put their team ahead and the end of regulation and extra time, neither team managed to find the back of the net.
Regular penalty kicks were taken twice and that did not materialise a change in the score line, while two sets of ‘sudden death’ penalty kicks also failed to bring about a change, and when Porter missed his kick from the edge of the centre circle and Rocky Gravesande scored his, both Broad Street ‘B’ and their band of supporters began a celebration while Alexander Village made a gracious exit by shaking their opponents’ hand.
With their appetites whetted from the first encounter, the over 6 000 fans gathered at the venue waited patiently for the commencement of the second semi-final, even though they were entertained by another exhibition matchup which saw Guinness Bar defeating Charlestown on penalty kicks.
A dull and dreary affair was the order of the day in the first half of the second semifinal, as WFR led by Ola ‘Solo Tallboy’ Pedro, Wendell Pedro and Michael Oie seemed happy to have Albouystown ‘A’ take the game to them.
Renault Fraser led his troops from Albouystown well, attacking in spurts against their opponents and it was he who took the first shot, but was unfortunate not to find the back of the net, with Ola Pedro, who was playing defence for WFR, out of position.
At the other end, both Ola and Wendell Pedro struck the wooden woodwork of their opponents’ goal, while Small who was a thorn in WFR’s flesh, missed an unguarded goal by inches to end the first half.
Both teams got an extra wind prior to the second half, when the light that was positioned at the Northern End of the playing area went out, and when play began some 15 minutes later, a more purposeful-looking Albouystown lineup were all over their opponents like ants to sugar.
Stern defence by Albouystown ‘A’s Julian Masdammer, who has always been a rock at the back for his team, prevented WFR from breaking the deadlock created by both teams, while Small who was introduced back into the game midway the second half, had sent several shots wide.
With no goals materialising during regulation time, it was on to extra time to decide who would advance to face Broad Street ‘B’ in Saturday’s final and this was where Small and his teammates showed their hunger and passion for success against a tired-looking WFR lineup.
Shots to goal came from all angles and positions from Fraser, Small and Dooker, while Masdammer held the defence together, keeping WFR at bay. Hence it was no surprise when Small beat Ola Pedro with a well-placed shot to his right in the second minute of the first half of extra time.
Pandemonium broke loose following the goal, after which shots from both Wendell and Ola Pedro struck Albouystown ‘A’s goal area with Masdammer out of position, one of his rare mistakes made during the tournament.
Small sealed the spot for his team in the final minute of extra time when he scored from midway inside WFR’s half, to spark off another mini celebration that was made full at the sound of referee Dwayne Griffith’s whistle which signalled Albouystown ‘A’s march into the finals.
While the two victorious teams will battle for the $500 000 first prize, with Broad Street ‘B’ being made to do so without the services of Jimmy Gravesande, Alexander Village and WFR will do battle for the third prize of $150 000.