By Ras Wadada

THE first round of matches in the truncated ‘season two’ of the GFF-Stag Elite League will climax at the Buxton Community ground today with all six teams in action.The opening act brings together the competition’s leader and winningest team, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the only other unbeaten team, Fruta Conquerors in a top of the table clash filled with expectations.
The two-point lead by the Army, on a maximum 12 points, must be a psychological boost going into what must be their toughest challenge.

Added to that is their superior goal scoring per game, 18 goals from 4 matches as compared to the second placed Conquerors who have netted exactly half that amount from the same amount of games.
The Tucville-based unit, however, have conceded just a solitary goal while the GDF have allowed 3 and this afternoon the Conquerors’ back four, led by captain Delano Williams, will be severely tested against the League’s top goal scorers in Sherwyn Caesar (6) and Delroy Fraser (3).
Conquerors’ attack will be spearheaded by Jermin Junor, Eon Alleyne and ‘super-sub’ Kwame La Fleur who have accounted for seven of the team’s nine goals.
The youthful Conquerors squad, with over a week’s rest, must win to top the table after the completion of the first half of the competition while the Army, with three days to recover, only needs a draw to maintain pole position at the top.
The second game set for 18:00hrs is anticipated to be highly competitive as well, with Victoria Kings matching skills against longtime rival, Monedderlust FC who gave an impressive performance last Friday while losing 3-1 to the Army.
Earlier on the same night,the Kings battled to their second stalemate when they were held to a 1-1 tie by Top XX. Victory this evening is important to both sides as they seek to make the top four, but the Kings on five points can advance with another draw while Monedderlust on 3 points must win to stay in contention.
The final match should be entertaining as the improving Top XX aim to join the rest of the teams by registering their first win of the season. The bottom side missed the opportunity to secure their first win at Number Five Village last Friday and no doubt will be inspired to end the first stanza of the League on a winning note.
The Buxtonians, on 3 points, know that a win tonight will assure them of a spot in the final four and that is their mission as they host their first game of the season which has so far served up 42 goals from the 12 games played.
After tonight’s matches the teams will take a lengthy break until next February,when the League will resume with the top four play-offs before the start of the second half of the GFF-Stag Elite League.
Teams will also be busy signing new players in the month of January when the transfer window will be opened so that teams can be strengthened for the second half of the League.