THE right to be a contender for the top prize of $1.5M, the first place prize, will be decided tonight at the Golden Grove ground when the semifinals of the second edition of the STAG Super XVI knockout football competition are contested.Defending champions Grove Hi Tech, the only non-East Coast Demerara club standing in the three-association tournament – East Bank and West Demerara being the other two – will come up against Victoria Kings in what is expected to be a dual of sorts.
The first semi-final brings together last year’s beaten finalists Ann’s Grove and fellow East Demerara side Mahaica Determinators. This clash too is expected to produce some exciting exchanges with the respective winners earning a coveted place in the championship match on New Year’s night, January 1, 2016 right at the Golden Grove ground.
Grove Hi Tech have been gradually improving their play and seem hungry to defend their title but will have to first get past an equally determined Victoria Kings line-up. The East Bank boys were tested in their first match against Golden Grove, prevailing via penalty kicks 4-2 after a 2-2 regulation and extra time score line.
Their quarter-final match against Pouderoyen saw them more potent as they brushed aside West Demerara’s Pouderoyen 2-0 whilst missing a plethora of opportunities. They will hope to be much more potent in the final third especially coming up against a side like the Kings who will make them pay for mistakes.
Leading the most consistent side on the East Bank will be Lloyd ‘Badai’ Matthews, Orson Francois, Denzil Crawford and Akeem Jones who have all scored so far in this tournament. This side have displayed the aptitude to score at any point during the match since they create the chances.
Victoria Kings, on the other hand, have stood solid in the defensive third and boast a record of two goals for and none against, which means that Grove will have their work cut out in the attacking third.
The Kings have won both their matches to date via respective 1-0 margins against Stewartville and Uitvlugt, both West Demerara teams. Alden Lawrence has been their only player on the score sheets and will certainly be a player to watch tonight.
Senior tacticians in Winston Pompey, Calvin De Souza and Aubrey Gibson along with Akeem Holder and Sherlock Dowdin will be combining efforts with a view of halting the progress of Grove Hi Tech which makes for mouthwatering action.
Ann’s Grove have been effective in conquering their opponents to date and will be hoping to continue this trend when they take on a determined Mahaica Determinators in tonight’s first semi at 19:00hrs.
They (Ann’s Grove) will have a point to prove that they can go all the way having lost in the final last year to Grove Hi Tech 5-0 on New Year’s Night this year at the #5 ground West Coast Berbice, Domini Garnett netting all five goals.
While they edged Eagles (West Demerara) in their first game 2-1, Ann’s Grove were in ripping form in dismantling another West Demerara side, Beavers 4-0, in their quarter-final game to earn tonight’s date with Mahaica.
Shafeer Sanichar has two goals so far for them while Jamain Rogers, Anil Hernandez, Kevon Barry and Andrew Murray have also scored a goal each and will be hoping to continue that trend for their team tonight.
The task to smother them in their efforts will be a tough one for Mahaica but they too have displayed a high desire for goals which was evident in their 3-0 demolition of Kuru Kururu Warriors.
Mahaica have also shown that they are a patient unit that will pounce when the opportunity presents itself as was evident in their hard-fought 1-0 win over West Demerara’s Den Amstel on Christmas night at the Farm ground.
Quincy Holder, who converted twice against the Warriors, Samuel Charles and Eion Abel who scored a well-executed free kick to win the match against Den Amstel, will all be raring to go to prove that Mahaica are as ambitious as the other teams and will be giving their all, as they too eye the big prize. Fans are in for a treat tonight.