… to be joined by Conquerors, Kings and Buxton in top four

By Ras Wadada
THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) completed an unblemished run on the final play-day of the first round of competition in the GFF-STAG Elite League with another convincing victory,

while there were also wins for Victoria Kings and home team Buxton United in last Monday’s triple-header.

Led by an early brace from forward Jeffrey Perreira and one by Eusi Phillips in the first half, the Army dominated the young Fruta Conquerors who were non-existent and disorganised in defence during the first period.
The 6-foot tall Perreira first ran onto a perfectly measured pass by Phillips that dissected captain Delon Williams and Cecil Jackman down the middle as early as the 7th minute of the game.

A hesitant Derrick Carter left his line, but Perreira kept his composure as he made inroads into the box before hitting low to the custodian’s left as he advanced.
Perreira broke free again in the 11th minute, but clearly this time he was off-side, to beat the advancing Carter and double the score while the Conquerors’ players appealed for off-side as referee Sherwin Johnson pointed to the spot.

Eon Alleyne then muffed a golden opportunity to reduce the lead as his effort from close up, in the 13th minute, was denied by the boot of goalkeeper Enoch Carmichael. The Army’s attack in the meantime were having things their way against a Conquerors defence in disarray.
Coach Sampson Gilbert replaced left back, Lennox Cush in the 16th minute with Steve Nelson but the Army still dominated. Against the run of play Conquerors were awarded a penalty kick after the referee blew against Phillips for handling the ball in the box. Jermin ‘Pankey’ Junor then placed the spot kick hard and along the ground to the keeper’s far right corner.

The GDF regained the two-goal cushion four minutes before the interval, thanks to a diving header by Phillips from a rebound off the far post. Captain Williams and Reshaun Sandiford then each picked up a yellow card as the game heated up towards the end of the first period.
The Tucville-based unit gave a much improved and spirited performance after the break, but still found it difficult to breach the Army’s defence, solidly marshalled by Jerome Richardson and Aubrey Greene. In the end they got some consolation as they became the first side to hold the Army score-less in a half this season.

It was the first loss for Conquerors but they retained 2nd position on ten points while the soldiers stretched their lead at the top with their 5th consecutive win from as many games for a maximum 15 points. In a post-game fracas on the sideline three players received red cards from referee Johnson – Junor and Dwayne Lindie of Conquerors and the Army’s captain, Delwin Fraser.

The second game produced a solitary goal that came just before the half-time whistle and assured Victoria Kings of three vital points to move to 8 and third in the points table.
The decisive strike came off the right boot of Seon Robinson coming in, unchallenged, at the far side to meet a determined and well calculated cross, inches from the goal line on the left, by the evergreen Aubrey Gibson.
It was the fourth defeat for Monedderlust FC as they occupy second place from the bottom on 3 points.

The ‘nightcap’ resulted in the home side’s 2nd win and a place in the final four after a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Linden’s Topp XX.
A brilliant tip over the crossbar by Buxton custodian Darren Marks, who was fully extended as he leapt to his left ‘V’, to deny a direct free-kick from Travis Waterton about 25 metres out, in the 14th minute, was an inspiration to his side and the several hundred fans.
In the very next play, Nixon Robertson worked his way down the left flank and drew goalkeeper Jamal Caster off his goal line, as he crashed into a teammate. Robertson found an unmarked Dillon Wright in the right place, at the far post, at the right time to give the home side the lead in the 15th minute.

Captain Denvor Dennis made it 2-0 in the 37th minute as he blasted a direct free-kick from just outside the penalty arc into the roof of the net before Caster knew what passed him. Caster left the game after the goal and was replaced by Carlous Brown.
In the 60th minute 16-year-old Robertson ran onto a fine through pass from midfielder Clive Andries and his attempted shot on goal took a deflection before hitting the far post and ending up in the ‘onion bag’ for his first goal of the season and the 50th of the competition.
It was 13th goal scored on Topp XX and the most conceded by any side. The defeat was the 4th and left the Lindeners at the bottom on one point while Buxton moved to 4th position with 6 points.

The ‘Big Four’ playoff will match GDF against Conquerors with the winners advancing to the final while the losers will confront the winners of the Kings versus Buxton match-up for the other place in the championship game.
The ‘Big Four’ will be played next year February, ahead of the start of the second round of the Elite League.