Beaton hits in double as Team Guyana advance
HUNDREDS of Guyanese fans  filled the Thomas Jefferson High School Playfield in Brooklyn New York, to witness Team Guyana outclass Antigua and Bermuda  5-0 last Sunday, when action in the Digicel Caribbean Cup continued. Playing in the opening game of the day’s double-header, Team Guyana; one of the tournament’s favourites to win the title this year, were missing Dwight Peters, Dwain Jacobs and goalkeeper Ronson Williams, who all went back to Guyana to play for their club Alpha United in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Nonetheless, the day belonged to Kevin Beaton who netted a double which also place him as the tournament’s leading goalscorer so far (six) and Devon Millington who did everything right except scoring plenty goals.
With a vociferous crowd behind them, Team  Guyana came out looking sharp as they passed the ball fluently around the opposition.
Millington always looked threatening from the start and resorted to the role of playmaker, showing off such qualities when he set up Clive Nobrega for Guyana’s opening goal.
The second was also set up by Millington after he made his way down the left wing and sent a pass to a lurking Jermaine Scott in front of the goal who made no mistake in slotting it home to give Guyana a 2-0 lead at halftime.
However, Scott, along with Antigua’s Andrew Smith were both red-carded for aggressive play at centre field.
The game took an up-tempo swing in the second half with Antigua looking to make several advances to goal but all their tries were quickly thwarted and were kept at bay, thanks to Guyana’s rock-solid defence, led by Howard Lowe and Abassi McPherson.
Lowe and McPherson formed a ‘two-man’ brick wall at the back while up front Beaton and Millington continue to torment the Antiguan defenders.
Beaton collected a pass from midfield, sent by Konata Manning and broke down the middle to go one-on-one with the goalie, beating him with a low flat shot to his left, as Guyana extended their lead.
The Bakewell Topp XX and junior National striker then scored his second, this time thanks to Millington who did all the work leaving Beaton to tap into an open goal.
Millington’s hard work paid off when he finally found the back of the net, scoring Guyana’s final goal of the game.