WEST Side Ballers and the sensational Showstoppers will contest Saturday’s Final of the Guinness Greatest of the Streets ‘West Side’ Edition, following their comprehensive victories in the semi-finals, played at the Pouderoyen Tarmac. Watched by another massive crowd at the venue, the home side Showstoppers cemented themselves as clear favourites to cash in on the tournament’s first place prize, dazzling to a comfortable 3-0 over Patentia, while West Side Ballers went to penalty kicks to oust Raiser, winning 2-1 after a 1-1 regulation and extra time score.

Though the scoreline doesn’t reflect how entertaining the game was, Showstoppers looked like a well-oiled unit, passing the ball with fluency and their star players, Dexroy Adams and Marvin Josiah certainly did not disappoint the masses who went to see them not only win, but do it in style.
Adams converted from the penalty spot for Pouderoyen, 1-0, and 13 minutes later, he teamed up with Josiah, then going one-on-one with the defender, doubled the lead.
But he wasn’t finished. In the 18th minute after working his magic, manoeuvring between defenders as if they did not exist, Adams unselfishly found Nathan Allicock for an easy tap in, to make the score 3-0.
Showstoppers could’ve won by a bigger margin but none of their efforts found the target.
Meanwhile, in the first semifinal, Morgan Denny sent West Side Ballers into the lead but Dexter Marshall capitalised on the space given near goal, to rocket home a flat right-footed volley to level the score.
The two teams could not have been separated by the end of regulation and extra time and the game went into penalty kicks.
In the penalty shootout, Alonzo Bowman who was asked to kick first, scored for Raiders but seasoned player Anthony Harding scored to equalise for West Side Ballers.
Marshall went from being the hero to the villain; missing his attempt that could have given his side the advantage, but instead, Prince Gilkes did the honours for West Side Ballers.
Needing to score to keep their hopes alive in the tournament, Raiders turned to Andrew Birch, and hope he would score, but as fate would have it, his effort rolled slowly and surely wide of the mark and with it their chances of advancing.
In the exhibition game, the Media dismantled the Promoters, defeating them 4-2.

(By Rawle Toney)