DESPITE Colwyn David recording a hat-trick of goals in the third and final period of play, Guyana’s beach football team known as the ‘Red Jaguars’ went under to Trinidad and Tobago’s Bago Beach Sports Club (BBSC) 5-6 for the second successive night at the Christianburg ground last Saturday night. Having lost the first game by the same margin the previous night at the same venue, a better looking Red Jaguars who were spurred on by the home crowd churned out a better performance despite the scoreline.
When play got underway just after 22:00hrs, BBSC’s skipper Makhan Hislop found the back of the net in the first minute of play, following an Andre Red’s throw-in that was done approximately two feet from the Red Jaguars’ corner flag, within the first minute of play.
Seven (7) minutes later, and Stevon Stone made it 2-0 in favour of the visiting team, as his shot which was taken from just over the half way mark, beat Darius Frank, the Jaguars’ custodian on the near post, to the surprise of his teammates and the vociferous spectators who thronged the venue to witness the action.
Former Golden Jaguar Collie Hercules, tried his best to pull one back for the Red Jaguars, but his shot which had goal written all over it from the time it left his foot, was well saved by BBSC’s Victor Thomas, who had an exemplary night of action  between the uprights for his team.
At the end of the first period- which lasted for 12 minutes, BBSC held a two goal advantage over their host, who later saw a powerfully taken free kick from Keon Sears, who scored a hat trick the previous night, missing the upright by inches in the opening stages of the second period.
Sears later missed the far post while being unmarked, after he received a gem of a pass from Michael Wilson, whose free kick was blocked by Thomas seconds earlier and as the heavens opened and the rain fell for a brief period, the Red Jaguars gained momentum.
They found the back of the net in the 19th minute, thanks to Sears who beat a diving Thomas on the near post, but their celebrations were short lived as Chad Apoo, BBSC’s hero on the first night in which he scored a hat trick, found the back of the net two minutes later.
David brought the crowd to life, in two minutes before the whistle blew to signal the end of the second period, when he beat Thomas with a well placed shot to reduce the deficit to one goal, while he snatched the equalizer one minute later.
Frank then fed off the energy that was flowing from the spectators, when he pulled off a miraculous save from a Shallun Bobb, before Red beat him on the near post, to hand BBSC a 4-3 lead heading into the final period.
David completed his hat-trick when play resumed, leveling the score once again, but two quick goals from Hislop and Red-who did a jig to the delight of the crowd-handed the visiting team a two goal advantage once again.
Not to be outdone, the Red Jaguars who were aided by some dubious decisions from the referee at times, fought tooth and nail with their opponents who were more established in the game and were rewarded, when Wilson scored a penalty 10 seconds before full time, after he was brought down inside the box, a decision that was questioned by BBSC’s coach.
In the first game, Apoo’s hat-trick was supported by goals from Hislop, Bobb and Jerome Dickinson, as BBSC grabbed the opening game, while Michael Wilson and Kennard Simon found the back of the net to support Sears’ hat-trick for the Red Jaguars.
Both teams returned to the same venue to contest the third and final game last night in the series which was organized by the Guyana Beach Football Association (GBFA), with sponsorship from Banks DIH LImited, Linden Care Foundation and Bosai Minerals.
Before the start of Saturday night’s action, GBFA president Garth Nelson along with Banks DIH Outdoor Events Manager Mortimer Stewart and Roshawna Gulliver of the Linden Care Foundation, met the teams before the kickoff while Gulliver performed the ceremonial kick- off.