NAMILCO/Fruta Conquerors 3rd Annual F/ball festival …
….Quarter-final action commences this evening

Kings’ Pierre Joseph launched a triple strike on Seawall FC that saw them (Seawall) tumble out from further participation in the NAMILCO-sponsored Fruta Conquerors’ 3rd Annual Football Festival.

Playing the feature match of a triple-header card at the Tucville ground on Monday evening, East Coast team Victoria Kings brushed aside West Demerara’s Seawall FC by a 4-0 margin to secure a place in the round of eight which commences tonight at the same venue with a double-header card.

Also registering victories on Monday evening were Georgetown’s GFC who edged East Demerara’s Buxton Stars 1-0 and Georgetown Football Association’s (GFA) 2010 Premier League debutants Riddim Squad who continued their 2009 season unbeaten dream run with a 1-0 win against Premier League team Pele.

In the feature match, Joseph landed his first blow in the 42nd minute and found his target again in the 44th and 46th minutes.

He was ably assisted by Dwayne Stevens who found the back of Seawall’s net in the 55th minute.

In the main supporting game, Peter Parks booked GFC’s place in the quarter-final round with an 11th minute goal from the penalty spot, while in the opening game, Sheldon Hope recorded a 63rd minute goal to secure Riddim Squad’s place in the round of eight.

Riddim Squad played unbeaten in the 2009 GFA/Western Union Division One tournament, finishing at the top of the points standing ahead of Santos.

Monday’s triple-header card was marred by a power outage that caused a delay in the start of the main supporting game between GFC and Buxton Stars as well as poor sportsmanship on the part of Buxton Stars who refused to continue the game, trailing 0-1 with one minute of regulation time remaining after team member Vernon Halley was shown the red card by the officiating referee for dangerous play.

Earlier in the game, two other team members, Owain Bobb and Neville Gulliver were issued yellow cards for similar offences.

Parks had sent GFC into the lead with a well-placed penalty shot that beat Buxton Stars’ custodian flat to his left and from there onwards the East Coast side tried desperately to find the equaliser and winning goals, but their efforts were thwarted by some stout defence from the Bourda team.

But once things got going in the feature match, football fans and supporters were treated to some entertaining football from the Kings side.

The three winners from Monday’s fixtures will join Georgetown’s Sunburst Camptown, BK International Western Tigers, GDF and Santos, as well as New Amsterdam United in the round of eight which commences this evening. From 18:00 h New Amsterdam United tackle Victoria Kings in the opening match and Sunburst Camptown take on Riddim Squad in the feature match which is scheduled to get under way from 20:00 h

Sunburst Camptown booked their place in the quarter-final round with a 4-1 win against Uprising while Western Tigers, GDF and Santos recorded 2-1, 2-1 and 2-0 victories over BV/Triumph, Buxton United and Topp XX respectively.