KURU Kururu Warriors and Vurlon Mills Academy collected full points while there were three draws that highlighted play on the opening day of the 4th annual East Bank Football Association / Ralph Green sponsored Under-11 League which kicked off on Saturday last at the GFF National Training Centre, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Playing in the final match of the day, the young Warriors clawed their way back from being a goal down to defeat last year’s runner-up Grove Hi Tech 2-1. Rayfield Hillman had given Grove the lead in the 9th minute.

Kuru Kururu Warriors ended 10th of the 12 teams last year and were eager to put on a better show this time around first equalised through a 13th minute Johnson Maddison goal which was met with ecstatic celebrations form the players and Coach Dillion Roberts. Grove was denied from the penalty spot in their quest to take the lead.

The first half ended 1-1 and as the minutes ticked away in the 30-minute encounter with water breaks half way between each half, the match looked like it was destined for the fourth draw of the day but that was not to be as a Clifton Sampson goal in the 28th minute separated the two teams and sealed full points for the Linden Soesdyke Highway based Warriors.

The other team taking full points on the day was debutants Vurlon Mills Academy, who defeated defending champions Timehri Panthers 2-0. In a keenly contested match, Mills Academy took the lead with just one minute to the half time whistle, Christian Enderson tucking the ball past Panthers’ goalkeeper Jaden Tasha.

Five minutes into the second half the game was sealed by Mills Academy when Tasha was deemed by the Referee to have crossed the goal line with the ball in his hands after gathering same in the 20th minute.

Diamond United (7th in 2018) and Samatta Point/Kaneville making their debut, played to a 1-1. Rick Ramatar had sent Diamond into the lead in just the second minute, registering the first goal of the tournament in the process.

Diamond was on course to take full points but in the 17th minute, goalkeeper Romano Fraser gifted Samatta Point/Kaneville the equalizing goal when it was deemed by the Referee that he had stepped over the line with the ball; the match ending 1-1.

It was a similar score line in the Friendship All Stars (9th in 2018) / Riddim Squad (debut) encounter while it was a 0-0 end in the match between the third and fourth place finishers from last year, Agricola Red Triangle and Swan Football Club which is based on the Linden Soesdyke Highway.
Matches set to continue on Saturday at the same venue.