Guyana misfires on opening day of IGG competition

Mar 27, 2010 Sports

Rudy Cosset (left) and Corenzo Atlnanal

– fall 3-0 in football, win only two medals in swimming

Guyana misfired badly on the opening day of competition at the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) after three second half goals from French Guiana downed its male football team and with Henk Lowe and Brittany Van-Lange the only medallists in swimming.
The football team opened with jitters in the first half but managed to contain the French attack in the period that ended nil all before Corenzo Atlnanal strike in the 49th minute and Rudy Cosset’s double in the 83rd and 89th minutes sealed the deal for the hosts.
Guyana’s defence always looked suspect in the first period with Ahenleto Danba, Stephen LLett and Yanis Lenol throwing away straight forward attempts that missed the goal by only inches in all three cases after boring the last line of the local defence.
Corenzo finished a penalty in the 49th minute to put the French team up 1-0 before the Guyanese realised the urgency and upped the tempo. Starters Sheldon Holder and Lorenzo Duesbury could not deliver and their presence was soon removed from the game.
Coach Joseph Wilson brought on Antonio Jackson and Oswald Bollers for the duo in an attempt to restore the balance but the tactic did not work as Guyana continue to foil easy chances that the nippy captain, Mortimer Ramdeholl created from midfield.
Ramdeholl too was later subject to a sub for Jason Welch after he was cited for holding the ball too long in case of urgency. Guyana went all out on attack but their efforts refused to pay those anticipated dividends on the defensive half of the field.
Cosset received a pin-point cross from the corner that he squared in the penalty area and locked in French Guiana’s second goal. Minutes later, Cosset received a mid-field pass that he hustled pass Ryan Crandon to complete the 3-0 win for his team.
Guyana will take on Suriname today at the venue in a game that they must win to keep hopes of an outright win on the first leg for Guyana alive. Meanwhile, in swimming, Guyana was subject to heavy losses at the hands of their regional neighbours.
Up to press time last night, Guyana had only chalked up two medals with Van-Lange taking silver in the 100m Freestyle and Lowe bronze in the 50m Backstroke. The swimming competition is to continue today with Guyana at the bottom of the table.
(Edison Jefford in French Guiana)