By Rawle Toney

IN A DOMINATING all-round performance last evening, Pele Football Club ‘manhandled’ the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) to walk away 6-0 winners when the two teams clashed at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Base Camp Ayanganna ground. Ronel Gordon netted a double (2nd and 80th minutes) while Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant (18th), Julian Joseph (29th), Omallo Williams (45th+1) and Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson scored for Pele FC, who moved to 21 points to remain atop the eight-team table in the STAG Elite League.
It was an obvious long night for GFC after Gordon netted the night’s first goal, as Richardson unselfishly allowed Gordon to find the net, after the two players somehow were able to easily evade the defenders and the goalkeeper to face an open goal.
Richardson again proved worrisome for the young GFC defence, who had difficulty in containing the experienced striker as he again had his way before feeding Grant for the second goal.
The ball was played mostly in GFC’s half, and clumsy defending resulted in Richardson being awarded a penalty in the 29th minute.
Richardson stepped up to the penalty spot and his shot, which was sent flat and hard, was timed to perfection by the GFC keeper but the ball rebounded and landed in the path of Joseph, who made no mistake and easily patted home Pele’s third goal.
Forced to play deep into their own half, GFC, on the stroke of halftime, found themselves 4-0 down when Williams made his way around two defenders to hit his left-footed shot to the goalkeeper’s far right.
The second stanza was no different from the first, with the exception of the number of goals scored.
GFC struggled to stay in front of Richardson throughout the night and the forward, using his experience and obvious superior skill, made light work of whoever was placed in front of him.
After being denied earlier in the contest, and playing facilitator to the other goals scored, Richardson was finally on the score sheet in the 57th minute.
It was his eighth goal of the league from ten games played and he (Richardson) extended his reign as the leading goalscorer; Alpha United’s Delon Lanferman is second with seven goals from nine matches.
By then, Pele had utilised their allotted number of substitutions and it allowed GFC’s young brigade to open up and create some chances of their own.
None of GFC’s runs on goal resulted in any real chance while, on the other end, Pele’s chances were either slightly off-target or saved by the keeper.