By Elroy Stephney

THE NAMILCO/GFF-sponsored countrywide Under-17 football tournament began in grand fashion with a double-header at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground on Sunday.
After a formal opening ceremony with officials of the ECPFA and witnessed by a large gathering; there were emphatic wins for Dartmouth FC and Henrietta FC, following hat-tricks from Ridley Williams and Joel Caesar respectively.
In the opening match, Dartmouth FC humbled Good Hope FC 4-0. Three goals were netted in the first half, all of which came off the skilful boot of Ridley Williams in the 14th, 29th and 42nd minutes of the game to register the first hat-trick of the tournament.
During the second half, Dartmouth FC again created numerous opportunities until Romel Benn found the back of the net in the 78th minute to seal a comfortable victory for Dartmouth FC, who dictated the pace and creativity throughout the match.
The ARCCG proved a fertile gold mine for Henrietta FC as they drubbed Capoey FC by 13-0 in the second encounter. The assault began in the 3rd minute when Joel Caesar opened his account with a neatly angled shot into the left corner of the net.

The dapper striker looked unstoppable and was easily the star player of the day. The game was played at a fast pace and with well executed combinations that saw Henrietta FC completely dominating the display with skill and precision.
Christan Bacchus netted in the 20th minute and was soon followed by Jemain John in the 23rd minute.
Striker Ariel Chester opened his account with an accurate strike in the 42th minute, while Caesar was on the score sheet again for his second in the 50th minute to give Henrietta an unassailable lead of 5-0 at halftime.
While Capoey FC adapted better during the latter half, they were unable to prevent the goals from flowing. Jemain John found the net again in the 54th minute for his second while his namesake Jemain Bowen scored his first in the 58th minute.
Caesar completed the second hat-trick of the day with his third in the 65th minute. Completing the score-line of goalscorers were Arial Chester for a double in the 69th, Mark Holder in the 73rd, Eric Narine 80th, Prince Baird 84th and Marquan Brown in the 94th minute to complete a massive victory for Henrietta FC.
The matches were witnessed by ECPFA officials including GFA executive Maxine Steward and TDOS Travis Bowen and Ranzolin Durga. The next round of matches will be played this weekend at various venues along the Essequibo Coast.