THE perfect start to a season is something all clubs hope for, but for Slingerz FC, GFC and Alpha United, that ‘perfect start’ eluded them when the STAG Elite League kicked off last Friday at the Leonora Track & Field and Football Facility.
Slingerz FC and Alpha United played to an exciting goalless draw, while the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) fell 2-1 to Pele FC.
The STAG Elite League will continue tonight at the GFC ground from 18:00hrs, when Slingerz FC tackle a young and energetic GFC while Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United are down to compete against an unbeaten Pele FC at 20:30hrs.
Only two clubs in Guyana can boast about defeating Slingerz FC – Alpha United and the Guyana Defence Force – and tonight, GFC expect to be added to that short list.

In fact, this is the first time the two sides will be meeting each other in a match that has a little history of their own.

While Slingerz FC is the youngest team in the League, only having formed in 2013, GFC is Guyana’s oldest club, being around since 1902.

Vurlon Mills, Domini Garnett, Tichard Joseph and company will lead the attack for the ‘star’ studded Slingerz FC who will once again play without the services of the their leading goal scorer Devon Millington who is overseas.

The Vergenoegen based club in keeping with the League’s “three overseas players only” ruling, sought the services of St Vincent and the Grenadines national players Winslow and Jolanshoy McDowall along with Keith James.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper (Winslow) McDowall showed a pack house at Leonora why Slingerz FC went after him by pulling off a few defying saves to keep a clean sheet.

Defenders (Jolanshoy) McDowall and James teamed up with Colin Nelson that created some trouble Alpha United’s forwards and hopefully tonight, they can keep the GFC’s young forwards at bay.

The Pele/Alpha Untied will certainly be one football fans certainly wouldn’t want to miss.

It will be Pele’s Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant first game against their former club (Alpha United) and some bad blood between the two players and their former boss might be released on the pitch at GFC.

Interesting it will be how Coach ‘Wiggy’ Dover arranges his defenders to adjust against Pele’s attack that seems potent while also ensures that they get on the score sheet.

Alpha United won five national titles (2009 – 2014) and only losing one game in the process. The team, the only one from Guyana to play at the CONCACAF Champions League, is heavily favoured to cart off the STAG Elite League title.