-MHS through to quarter-finals

HEARTS were broken and tears were shed on Sunday last, but in the end after two alluring matches at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, Christianburg/Wismar Secondary and Mackenzie High School advanced to the quarter-finals of the Kashif and Shanghai/Chico Elite Next Generation Secondary School’s football tournament. The heavy down pour of rain could not have kept scores of football fans from converging at Linden’s premier sporting facility to show support to the next generation of football stars and they were not disappointed since the teams turned in some fascinating performances.
Two times Digicel school champions Christianburg/Wismar who are more popularly known as ‘Multi’, defeated New Silver City Secondary 4 – 3 on penalty kicks after finishing their regular time fixture goalless, while Mackenzie High School (MHS) drenched the visiting Leonora Secondary 4 – 0 in the opening game of the double header.
With Major League Soccer (MLS) Super-Star Dwayne DeRosario in attendance, the players all turned in their best performance which led to the already rained soaked venue being flooded with tears, mainly from the students and even supporting parents of the New Silver City Secondary.
It was said to be one of the most anticipated clashes of the tournament, a ‘Wismar Derby’, since New Silver City had won the hearts of the Lindeners with their adult like football tactics but Christianburg/Wismar Secondary is unarguably the best secondary school football playing institution in Guyana.
By virtue of winning back to back Digicel School football titles while featuring in all three of the finals in the foremost school’s football tournament, they have etched themselves as the ‘team to beat’ at this level.
Rain had threatened to keep the crowd away, but parents, teachers and students refused to let the inclement weather bother them from coming out and supporting their respective schools and in the ‘Wismar Derby’ it was hard for anyone who is of no affiliation to the two schools to really choose a side since the game, especially in the first half was evenly balanced.
While New Silver City created more chances, none were of any major concern for the Christianburg based ‘Multi’ school, but the second stanza told an entirely different story.
New Silver City forced the National School Champions to fall deep into their defence and capitalized on a free kick in the 85th minute that was scored in a goal mouth scramble, only to see the referee’s assistant flag airborne for an infringement, with one of the players being caught in the off-side position.
The huge crowed in attendance, most of which were supporting ‘Multi’ cheered at the result, while the New Silver City supporters sounded their voice at not being pleased by the call.

In the end it came down to penalty kicks and after scoring his side’s last kick, ‘Multi’s custodian affected a save from the opposing team’s kicker, to spark off celebrations amongst his teammates and their band of supporters off the field, as they head into a quarterfinal clash with the winner of the contest between Bladen Hall Multilateral and Ann’s Grove Secondary.
Meanwhile in the opening game, it was an easy as a Sunday afternoon walk for MHS who were led by goals from Akeem Higgins (5’ ), Qualon Andrews (75’), Randy Hohenkirk (79’) and Teniel Charles (83’) in a one-sided clash against Leonora, as they go onto face St George’s on Friday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Ground.

(By Rawle Toney)