WINNERS Connections and Flamingo Football Club booked their quarterfinal spots as action in the third annual Buxton Stars Football Club organized Mackeson Stout/Digicel sponsored Sweet 16 tournament continued at the Buxton Football Club ground last Friday night.
Playing in the first match on the second night of action, Winners Connection defeated defending champions Cougars Football Club of Berbice by the odd goal to nil, following a Rawle Gittens 46th minute strike after receiving the ball from Marvin Fraser on the right wing.
The second match of the double-header saw Flamingo ousting East Coast’s BV/Triumph United 3-1, thanks to a Sheldon Gurrick double and Shem Porter’s strike.
Kelvin Williams sent the East Coast team into the lead, when he found the back of the net in the 13th minute before Porter seized the equalizer five minutes after.
A battle for supremacy ensued therein after, with both teams looking to surge ahead and it was Georgetown’s Flamingo who went into the lead when Gurrick got the first of his brace in early in the second half.
He sealed the win and quarterfinal place for his team, when he found the back of the net in the 78th minute to send a hapless looking BVTU team out of the competition at the first round stage for the second consecutive year.
Meanwhile in Wednesday’s opening matches, Santos through a Kacy John double and Golden Stars also riding on a Rondell Williams’ brace, defeated Rosignol United and Uitvlugt respectively to see their teams through to the quarterfinals.
In the opening fixture, William Europe sent Santos into the lead with a well placed left foot scorcher from the top of the box in the 42nd minute, following a weak clearance by a Rosignol United’s defender.
John then added his first of two goals after receiving a wonderful pass from Michael Pedro who was enjoying a fabulous night in the field for his team, in the 51st minute and followed it up with another strike 14 minutes later that left a hapless looking Rosignol custodian Dirk Henry bewildered.
Despite several attempts to find the back of the net after seeing their opponents score thrice, Rosignol United failed to do so, as they became the first casualty of the tournament which has a first price of $400,000 awaiting the victorious team, while Santos awaits the winner of the Riddim Squad/Ann’s Grove clash which takes place on Sunday at the same venue.
The second game of the evening featuring Golden Stars and Uitvlugt was an excited one as both teams sought to snatch the initiative from each other within the first 10 minutes.
Randy Stoby sent the East Coast based Golden Stars into the lead when he flew Uitvlugt’s offside trap and beat Julius Griffith who was standing guard in between the uprights for the opposition by placing the ball over his head in the 14t minute of play.
Ten (10) minutes later, Griffith, who had gathered his wits following Stoby’s strike, pulled off a magnificent save from a right foot bomber that had goal written all over it when it left the boot of Stoby, to which he received a round of applause from the spectators on hand.
Despite such a heroic effort, he had no answer to Williams’ header in the 42nd minute following a goal mouth scrimmage and when the sound of the referee’s whistle signaled lemon time, Golden Stars were up two goals to nil.
A resurgent looking Uitvlugt unit took the field for the second half but with Golden Stars who made a first round exit via penalty kicks in last year’s tournament looking to consolidate on their lead, their work was made harder as their opponents threw the whole book of attacking football at them.
Williams got his second goal of the night which placed him in a position to capture the Most Goals prize of the tournament alongside John, when he let loose a scorching right foot shot from the top of the box that beat Griffith on his right and sent his team further into the lead four minutes after play resumed.
Defence was the order of the day for Golden Stars as only Williams and Stoby were the lone players not behind the ball when Uitvlugt attacked.
Despite such, the West Demerara based team managed to pull one back when Golden Stars’ custodian Preston Williams who was having a great game for his team, failed to hold onto a loose ball to which Trayon Bobb pounced on and placed to the back of the net in the 62nd minute.
Apart from the first prize, the second, third and fourth place teams will pocket $200,000, $100,000 and $75, 000 respectively, while there will be a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award along with the most goals award.
The action will continue tonight at the Plaisance ground, with Mahaica Determinators taking on Fruta Conquerors from 18:00h, while Riddim Squad and Ann’s Grove will battle for a quarterfinal place from 20:00h.