By Rawle Toney
After finishing in regulation and extra time tied 1 – 1, the Milerock and Victoria Kings’ game went to penalty. With $500,000 on the line, Milerock’s custodian Martin Leacock would turn out to be the night’s hero when he saved veteran striker Winston Pompey’s shot to hand the Linden team a 4 – 3 win and the Petra Organisation’s GTT/Limacol Round Robin/League title.

A packed house at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground on Sunday, had earlier witnessed Topp XX triumph over Winners Connection in similar fashion (4 – 1 on penalty) to finish third.

Leacock saved the Kings’ first shot; making a timely dive to his right and the crowd erupted. Milerock then took the advantage when they scored their first kick, after which, the East Coast Demerara team converted their second to get back in the game.

With the scores 3 – 2, both sides would find the net on their next attempt from the ‘spot’. 4 – 3 was the score; Pompey stepped up to the kick after the referee had spotted the ball.

Linden would remember Pompey when the Kings had won the Kashif and Shanghai tournament on the same ground, with the striker and Carl Cole netting in the 2 – 2 regulation and extra time before the Victoria team’s latter winner 4 – 2 on penalty over Netrockers.

However, Leacock had other plans. The goalkeeper pulled off a save that sparked wild celebration in the stands and some, who couldn’t control themselves, invaded the pitch to join Milerock in jubilation.

Victoria Kings had to eventually settle for $250,000 and a trophy.

Owen Williams had given Milerock a dream start in the game, when he scored three minutes into the contest.

Both teams had their fair amount of chances to score in the first half, but it was Milerock who would enter the second half with a 1 – 0 advantage.

Nonetheless, Victoria Kings’ perseverance would eventually pay off in the 77th minute, when Akeem Holder scored from within the 18 years’ box, much to the disappointment of the Linden fans.

Holder’s equaliser lifted the Kings’ spirit, but neither side could’ve put together a good enough attack to score in the regulation time, sending the game into penalty where the home side prevailed.

In the third-place playoff, Collie Hercules rolled back the years to when he was Guyana’s top striker, to score Topp XX’s opening goal in the 55th minute.

The Hercules goal was an equaliser, after Keon Sears had given Winners Connection the lead in the 33rd minute.

Travis ‘Chicken’ Watterton then put Topp XX 2 – 1 up against Winners Connection in extra time (95th minute) but Rawle Gittens’ goal three minutes later sent the game into penalty.