NEW Amsterdam United and Amelia’s Ward football clubs drew first blood with victories over Grove Hi Tech 3-1and Bakewell Buxton Stars FC  2-1, respectively, at the Beterverwagting Community Centre ground yesterday as the preliminary playoffs for the two vacant places in the 2012 Guyana Football Federation National Super League got underway. Before a small sized crowed, New Amsterdam United were forced to enforce their authority as they entered the game in a defensive manner and had to switch after finding Grove Hi Tech in a similar position.
However, the squandering of several early goal scoring opportunities plagued both teams, but Colin Bowry was the first to convert for New Amsterdam  in the 28th minute with a through pass on the left side of play from Leonardo Adams to send the  Lennox Adams coached side in the lead.
The score remained unchanged to the end of the first half. On resumption  NA United continued their attacking style with the introduction of Dane Johnson to central defence and the promotion of the experienced former national U 17 Captain Sherland Edwards to the forward line, who  scored in the 56th minute  to give his team a commanding 2-0 lead..
Grove Hi Tech at this time seemed crumbled and was forced into defence and saw no positive intervention to conqueror the New Amsterdam side, as they too were guilty of squandering goal scoring opportunities.
Adrian Adams whose seven minutes with a quick- play breakthrough slipped the ball over the Grove custodian head to seal the deal at 3-0 in the 63rd minute.
But all was not lost for the East Bank 2011 Coca Cola league runner’s up when former national U 17 utility player Dominique Garnett  sealed  his opportunity in the 71st minute to reduce the  scoreline to 3-1 which remained unchanged at the end of regulation time.
In the second match of the double-header Amelia’s Ward defeated Bakewell Buxton Stars FC 2-1. Former national defender Travis ‘Chicken’ Waterman opened the Linden side’s account in the 20th minute after four attempts on the Buxtonians’  goal.
Jermaine Watson netted the second in the 24th minute that sent Amelia’s Ward up 2-0 where the score remained unchanged to the end of the first half.
Bakewell Buxton Stars Kevon Barry converted his try in a shot outside the 18 yards box catching the Amelia’s Ward goalkeeper out of position to score, thus reducing the Linden team scoreline to 2-1.