THE inaugural 592 Beer Inter-Village Football Festival final will be contested between Golden Grove and Friendship after dramatic semi-final victories on Sunday at the Golden Grove Community Centre ground.

The home side Golden Grove defeated Beterverwagting (BV) 3-1 in front of a large crowd. Dwain Jacobs handed the hosts the lead in the 58th minute lashing into the back of the net after receiving a forward pass once first half failed to produce a goal,

The lead proved to be short-lived, as Omari Glasgow equalised in the 63rd minute, sprinting onto a through pass and slapping his effort past the goalkeeper.

However, Golden Grove restored their advantage in the 73rd minute through Phillip Williams, who blasted into the roof of the net after the goalkeeper parried the ball onto the woodwork and it fell into his path.

The win was then sealed in the 90th+1 minute compliments of Dextroy Culpepper who rifled a powerful shot into the lower left corner, past the onrushing goalkeeper following a swift counterattack down the right side.

Meanwhile, Friendship defeated Paradise 3-1 on penalty kicks after regulation and extra time ended 1-1. Goalkeeper Seon Thomas was the hero for Friendship. He recorded three consecutive saves in rounds two, three and four respectively to seal the outcome.

Thomas’s performance mirrored his teammates who recorded three consecutive goals from the penalty mark. Before the eventual conclusion, E. Evans handed Paradise the lead in the 28th minute, only for Clive Andries to equalise in the 53rd minute.

Tournament coordinator Eon Havercome during a pre-match comment said, “The tournament couldn’t have provided a better matchup for the final of the inaugural edition. We have witnessed tremendous football since the start and the competition has certainly exceeded all expectations with the support and quality on display every evening from players and spectators alike.”

He further said, “Once again I expect the final to be a monumental evening, the two teams are the best of the lot and have displayed their championship credentials in the previous rounds so I expect the fans to be treated to a dramatic and exciting atmosphere on January 1.”

The eventual champions of the event will pocket $500 000 and the championship trophy. On the other hand, the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers will receive $200 000, $150 000 and $100 000 respectively and the corresponding trophy.

Similarly, individual prizes will also be awarded for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, the MVP of the finale, the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament and the Best Goalkeeper of the final.

Some of the major sponsors of the tournament are Bakewell Guyana Incorporated, ExxonMobil, NSC, Flavours Boss and Colin Talbot Construction Services.