– … double- header on today

Defending champions Slingerz FC and Fruta Conquerors have advanced to the semi-finals of this year’s Stag Beer West Side Cup, following their victory over Grove Hi-Tech and Pouderoyen respectively, on Friday last.

Playing at the Leonora Track and Field and Football facility, the two time champions, who are chasing a third title, defeated East Bank top club Grove Hi-Tech 2 – 0, while Fruta Conquerors edged Pouderoyen 2 – 1 in front of a vocal crowd at the recently built venue.

The game was played under wet conditions due to sporadic heavy down pours, but it didn’t stop the Tucville based club’s talisman Jermin Junior from giving his club the lead just nine minutes into play.

Junor, latched onto a witty Dwayne Lindy’s pass from the centre of the field, and the National U-23 select forward first headed his attempt onto the left crossbar, before pouncing on the resulting rebound and finishing unchallenged into the net.

Odel Williams almost doubled the Georgetown club’s lead but his right-footed volley went just wide of the top right hand corner.

Lloyd Prince, however, should have equalised in the 32nd minute for Pouderoyen but was denied by the advancing custodian, following a one-on-one situation from within the right side of the box, after racing onto a defence splitting through pass.

Luck was certainly not on the side of Pouderoyen, given the fact that they were once again denied a chance of equalizing, but this time by the ‘woodwork’ when Lloyd Prince’s freekick from the centre of the field, cannoned onto the crossbar.

Junior scored his second of the night in the 65th minute curling a 24 yard freekick into the top left hand corner, despite the outstretched touch of the diving Pouderoyen custodian.

The West Demerara team eventually scored in the 88th minute, thanks to Clemente Browne, whose curled shot went under the diving body of the keeper and into the lower right corner of the Fruta Conquerors goal, but ‘too late shall be the cry’.

Meanwhile, in the feature contest, Dwayne Jacobs and skipper Tichard Joseph ensured that their club, Slingerz FC would advance to defend their title.

Jacobs scored in the 10th minute, rifling his effort into the roof of the net from point blank ranks after collecting a pass from the winger Dexroy Adams.

Thirteen minutes later, the ‘West Side’ champions’ captain netted from the penalty mark following an infraction within the area.

Action in the championship will continue today at the same venue with Pele opposing Uitvlugt Warriors from 18:00hrs and Ann’s Grove battling Den Amstel from 20:00hrs.

The resulting winner will pocket $600,000 and the championship trophy, while the second, third and fourth placed units will receive $300,000, $150,000 and $100,000 correspondingly and the respective accolade.

Financial incentives will also be given to the bottom four finishers, with the resulting fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth positioned teams walking away with $75,000, $60,000, $50,000 and $40,000 correspondingly.

Upon the completion of the first round, the semi-final matchups will occur on Friday June 5th at the same locale. Following the end of the final fourth stage, the grand finale will commence on Sunday June 7th at the same location.