..East LaPenitence and Tucville to play for third place
FOLLOWING their respective semifinal victories over East LaPenitence and Tucville, St. Pius and West Ruimveldt will meet in the finals of this year’s second annual Petra Organisation organised COURTS (Guyana) Inc. sponsored Pee-Wee Under-11 football championships, at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park ground.Both finalists, who will clash for top honours at 16:00hrs this Saturday at the same venue, had to use penalty kicks to come out on top after regulation and extra time failed to provide a winner in two exciting contests that drew fans to the touchlines.
But it was the East LaPenitence versus St. Pius encounter, which can be related to a Manchester derby in England, which had tongues wagging and even set the tone for the West Ruimveldt/Tucville mouth watering encounter.
East LaPenitence’ defensive line which comprised Shaquille Burnette, William McKenzie and Leroy Sealy-Yaw, did an excellent job to thwart the sporadic efforts of St.Pius’ and the tournament’s top marksman Beveney Mark on several occasions.
At the other end of the field, St. Pius’ defence worked assiduously hard to ensure Fabian Boters ‘ hard work at the top for his team went in vain, shutting down his every move when they could, while his shots were wide of the mark.
Midway through the first half, Marcus Wilson, who was working in tandem with Mark and Kamacy Davis at the top of the field for St. Pius, sent a free kick just wide of East LaPenitence’s uprights, with their custodian in no man’s land.
A mere two minutes had elapsed and Mark saw his powerful right footer, missing the uprights, sparking off whispers amongst the fans at the sidelines, who were shouting instructions while paying keen attention to the contest.
The contest finished nil all at full time, even though Mark would have had himself to blame when he missed a penalty kick which was awarded late in the second half, following a handled ball by Burnette in the box off a well directed pass from Davis on the left side.
Mark also had the chance to finish the contest in regulation time, when he received a gem of a pass in the box from Wilson, but sent his shot wide and at the other end, Boters could not get a shot off when presented with the opportunity, after receiving a pass from Andre Hope.
In the penalty shoot out, Wilson and Mark found the back of the net, while Davis failed to score for St. Pius who remained unbeaten with the win, even as Burnette, Hope and Sealy-Yaw missed their chances for East LaPenitence in that order.
In the other semi-final, West Ruimveldt’s key player for this tournament and prominent goal scorer Michael Oie did his utmost best to ensure their contest did not go down to penalty kicks, but he lacked the necessary support at the top, which meant penalty kicks were the order of the day.
DeAndre Linton sent Tucville into the lead in the 13th minute, when he scored a scorcher through a sea of players from both sides to spark off celebrations on and off the field of play amongst his teammates and supporters, including Chief Education Officer Olato Sam and Managing Director of Courts Clyde DeHaas.
Many felt an upset was in the making since West Ruimveldt, who were facing the team that lost in the finals to former champions Marian Academy in last year’s tournament, were behind the eight ball after Linton’s strike.
But Oie put on a heroic show and won a penalty for his side following a handled ball at the top of the box, and in true leadership style, stood over the spot kick himself and later buried it home, nullifying Linton’s strike six minutes later.
A see-saw battle ensued as both teams looked to snatch the go ahead goal, with Tucville’s custodian effecting a save from a point blank shot off Oie and later Rayon Jones, before the game went to penalty kicks after the remaining time in the regulation period and two halves of extra time action, failed to produce a winner.
West Ruimveldt kept their nerves, and saw Oie, Akil Plass and Dante Seeram scoring their spot kicks even as Jones missed his own, while for Tucville, Kedar Chester and Colwin Best scored their kicks, with Linton and Ronaldo Guillen missing their own in that order.
Prior to West Ruimveldt and St. Pius reaching for championship honours, Tucville and East La Penitence will do battle in the third place playoff which is expected to kick off at 15:00hrs, following several other lower placing battles.
Earlier yesterday, South Ruimveldt through a hat trick of goals from Christopher Bovell (10, 24 &38th) defeated Marian Academy 3-0 and Ketley edged Redeemer 2-1 with Kevon Mullin (9th) and Jaheim Massiah (21st) scoring for the winners, while Ephraim Prass pulled one back for Redeemer in the 10th minute.
North Georgetown Primary also defeated St. Stephen’s 3-0, with national tabletennis player Tyriq Saunders scoring a brace in the 24th and 29th minute and Oren Williams the third goal in the 2nd minute for the victors.
J.E Burnham also edged St. Ambrose 3-2. Thanks to Adriel Wilson’s double (12th and 18th) and Keshon David’s solitary strike in the 6th minute, with Jermaine Padmore scoring both goals for St. Ambrose in the 24th and 33rd minute of play, respectively.
Teon Forde scored a brace in the 190th and 39th minute which guided St. Gabriel’s to a 2-0 win over Enterprise, prior to which F. E Pollard defeated St. Margaret’s 2-1, through goals from Dwain Dick (1st) and Cordell Charles (39th), with David Scott scoring for St. Margaret’s in the 35th minute.

(By Calvin Roberts)