Mayor’s Cup Anniversary football …
UNDERDOGS Crane Football Club upstaged BK International Western Tigers while Alpha `The Hammer’ United edged Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Sunday evening, to advance to the semi-final round of the Mayor’s Cup Seven-A-Side football tournament. Playing at the Tucville ground, the feature game saw Crane edging Kashif and Shanghai champions BK International Western Tigers by a 3-2 margin with the winning team’s goals coming off the boots of Charles Stoby, Jomo Petty and Dellon Parkinson, while Gavin Wilson and Nedd Fraser scored for Western Tigers.
In the main supporting game, Alpha United edged GDF 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out after the two teams were locked 0-0 at the end of regulation and extra time.
In the feature game, Wilson opened the scoring in the very first minute with a well-placed shot, but five minutes later Stoby found the back of the opposition’s goal to level the score.
Playing a fast-paced game, Crane went ahead for the first time with Petty’s ninth-minute goal, but during the very next minute Western Tigers clawed their way back and levelled the score once again with Fraser’s 10th minute goal.
Both teams upped the tempo with the Tigers seeming to have the better of ball possession, but in a counterattack, the East Bank team were able to capitalise on a defence blunder and Parkinson slipped the ball past Tigers’ custodian.
Leading 3-2 with seven minutes to regulation time, in the stipulated 20-minute game, Crane went on the defence and did so stoutly, shutting out the opposition and securing a place in the semi-final where they will meet Pele who defeated Uprising 2-1 in a quarter-final fixture last Friday evening at the same venue.
Scoring for Pele were Gregory `Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Marvin Joseph while Daniel Favourite responded for Uprising.
In the other semi-final scheduled for this Friday, Alpha United will face Riddim Squad who defeated Fruta Conquerors in a penalty shoot-out after the two teams were locked 0-0 at the end off regulation and extra time.
According to tournament coordinator Lennox Arthur, the final and third place playoff will also be contested on Friday evening at the same venue.
This, Arthur said, is to get the tournament over with as early as possible so that he and the teams can start preparations for a next tournament that is in the making.
All matches on Friday evening will be of 20 minutes duration.