DEFENDING female champions of the Rupununi Football Association (RFA), the Gladiators Football Club, went down to rivals – the Paiwomak Warriors FC – in their opening leg of the quarterfinals on Sunday at the Saints Sports Club ground in St Ignatius Village.

Samantha Roberts led the winners’ attack with a brace. She opened the scoring in the 21st minute and Vandette Henry equalised in the 70th minute.

Five minutes from the end of regulation, Roberts fired in the game-winner.
Gladiators FC and Paiwomak Warriors were the female finalists last year.

In the other first-leg quarter-final clash (males) at the Massara Village in North Rupununi, Guyana Rush Saints and Strikers FC battled their way to a 2-2 draw.
Franklin Parks scored a double for the Saints.

In a recap of the female division quarterfinal first-leg games: Guyana Rush Saints whipped Sun Parakeets 5-0, while the Strikers FC got the better of Titans United FC 3-0. Also claiming a victory were Flash FC, who whipped the Kanuku Harpies 5-1, last Saturday.
In the male division, Paiwomak Warriors FC needled Sun Parakeets 2-1 and defending champions Tabatinga FC stormed to a 6-1 win over the Titans United FC, while the Kanuku Harpies got the better of Jaguars FC 4-2.

Teams are now preparing for the return leg of the quarterfinals, with matches scheduled over the next two weekends (May 18 and 19, May 25 and 26).
The team with the highest goal aggregate will advance to the semifinals.