UNLIKE Ballerz, who played unbeaten in the preliminary rounds before being issued with marching orders on the first night of round-of-16 action, both Sparta Boss and Bent Street have kept their unbeaten record intact in this year’s inaugural Petra Organisation/Guyana Beverage Inc. Busta soft shoe football tournament.Competing last Sunday night at the Georgetown Football Club ground, the venue for tonight’s quarter-final action, Bent Street defeated West Back Road 3-2, before Sparta Boss inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Globe Yard, even though they lost the services of Sheldon Shepherd.
The night’s action commenced with Kitty Weavers needling Broad Street 1-0, thanks to Sherwin ‘Dribbler’ Vincent’s 14th minute goal, followed by Sophia, who rode on the back of Dwayne Lowe’s brace scored in the 13th and 25th minutes, defeating North Ruimveldt 2-1 with Nichosie Barker scoring for the losers in the 20th minute.
An Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams brace in the 26th and 33rd minutes, backed by Ronson Williams’ solitary strike in the 25th minute, accounted for Bent Street’s 3-2 victory over West Back Road, after Jarrel Tyrell 98th) and Odell Younge (15th) had given West Back Road the slim hope of creating an upset.
When Sparta Boss met Globe Yard, Shepherd placed the eventual victors ahead in the 11th minute, a goal that was nullified by Josiah Charles who scored Globe Yard’s solitary goal in the 24th minute, after Shepherd was shown a red card four minutes earlier.
But despite losing Shepherd’s services, Sparta Boss underlined their status as pre-tournament favourites, as Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant scored the winning goal in the 31st minute, to hand them a place in the quarter-finals which kicks off tonight.
The action will kick off after a few exhibition matches, with Bent Street whose lineup also includes Konata Manning and Amanackie Forde, facing Queen Street-Tiger Bay, who will be led by Deon Alfred, Devon Harris and Keyoma Gravesande. In the next match Kitty Weavers meet a star-studded Festival City lineup with Stellon David, Daniel Favorite and Wayne Wilson among others.
Siblings Hubert and Wendell Pedro, Michael Oie and Randolph Wagner, will lead West Back Road ‘Gold is Money’ challenge against Cross Street Werk-en-Rust, who will be led by Sheldon Profit, Dellon David and Samuel Hunte.
The final fixture for the night pits Sparta Boss with Grant, Devon Millington, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Dennis Edwards, against Sophia who will be led by Lawrence and Shemroy Arthur.
The winners of the tournament will pocket $600 000, with the second- to fourth-placed finishers respectively pocketing $300 000, $200 000 and $100 000 and the highest goals scorer being the recipient of a gold chain, compliments of Junior’s Jewellery and Pawn Shop. (Calvin Roberts)