SOME say it was predictable, that the two most dominant teams from the outset would face each other for the tournament’s $3M first place prize. 

Alpha United and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will lock horns on New Year’s Day (January 1) in the final of the Banks DIH-sponsored Georgetown Football Association (GFA) 4th Annual Banks Beer Cup at the Guyana National Stadium.
The eventual outcome came after Alpha United defeated Western Tigers 3-1 while GDF and Pele had to be separated by penalty shootout which the ‘Army’ won 3-2 after finishing regulation and extra time deadlocked at three goals apiece.
Western Tigers saw a revamp line-up which featured veteran dapper defender Charles’ Lilly’ Pollard, goal-hungry striker Devon Millington and former Junior National captain Colin Nelson but, the rock sturdy defence of the West Ruimveldt-based club, almost shattered in the 12th minute when Alpha’s Sheldon Holder header was cleared from the goal line.
It was a well-timed; well-placed header by the former Caledonia AIA winger but his shot was cleared by his former Trinidadian club teammate Nelson just when the entire GFC ground saw it was heading for the nets.
Western Tigers seemed bent on getting back into the game but Alpha’s defence was equal to the task, They (Western Tigers) were reduced to ten men after their captain, Phillip Rowley, was shown a straight red for intentionally hitting the Hammers’ Panamanian import Manuel Vargas to the head with an elbow in the 30th minute.
Being the dangerous side that they are, Alpha United wasted little time to impose their dominance on the shorthanded Western Tigers when Dwain Jacobs rocked his opponents’ net with a ‘Cristiano Ronaldo-like’ finish.
Jacobs collected the ball inside the 18-yard area; being challenged by two Western Tigers defenders and then turned with a one-time right foot volley that sent goalkeeper Derrick Carter sprawling in an attempt to stop the booming shot.
Already down 1-0, Western Tigers saw their evening come to crashing end when substitute Rensford Coleridge picked up his second red card – the first saw him booked for a nasty tackle then the other for what the referee said was ‘verbal abuse’.
A torturous first half it was for Western Tigers, being whittled down to nine men and playing against an attack like Alpha United. There was only so much they could have done to stop the offensive onslaught unleashed by Alpha.
Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson then doubled the lead when he scored a sublime header at point blank range.
Outgunned and outnumbered, Western Tigers cut the lead and increased their chances in the 59th minute when Millington was brought down within the penalty area by defender Adrian Adonis and Nelson made no mistake in making good his kick.
But that’s the closest Western Tigers got to even salvaging some pride as Alpha United further strangled their adversary when Manasseh Primo scored the game’s final goal in the 76th minute.
Meanwhile, the evening’s first game was equally entertaining as defender Selwyn Isaacs sent the GDF in the lead in the 9th minute then Delroy Fraser made it 2-0 a few minutes later.
Delon Alfred scored Pele’s first goal of the contest in the 24th minute but Fraser, seconds later, pushed the score to 3-1 with his second finish of the night.

(By Rawle Toney)