Eagles & Retrieve Unknowns to clash in grand finale tonight

May 07, 2011 Sports

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By Franklin Wilson
All roads lead to the Wisroc Bus Park in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden for the grand finale of the Banks DIH / Guinness Greatest of the Streets football championship tonight.
Earning the right to contest for the top prize of $400,000 following some pulsating semifinal engagements on Thursday evening at the Wisroc Bus Park are Eagles United which squeezed past Half Mile / One Mile on sudden death penalty kicks and Retrieve Unknowns which took care of business against a determined Coomacka 2-1.
The main event on Thursday had all the ingredients of a final as most of the fans felt that two of the most exciting teams were facing off. The on field energy was just breathtaking as the two teams went about business in a no nonsense manner.
Half Mile / One Mile did not waste any time in taking the upper hand. The players had hardly settled down when Trevor Tudor handed Half Mile / One Mile the lead in just 11 seconds, one of the fastest goals of the competition.
It was the start of what turned out to be a spectacular battle. Eagles, took a few moments to get their wings flapping and when they did, the battle was well and truly on to the extent that Half Mile / One Mile found themselves in early foul trouble.
Once a team accumulated five fouls, the opposing side was awarded a kick from the penalty spot; Eagles got an early opportunity from the spot but failed to hit the network. Soon after though, Trenton Bangaree leveled things up for the Eagles in the 3rd minute, the first of his hat-trick.
Three minutes later he handed Eagles the lead on a breakaway down the right to slip the ball past a defender from an acute angle. They {Eagles} enjoyed the lead until the half way mark of the 30 minute encounter. The short halftime break did not take away from the energy pot of either of the players and one minute after the resumption, Charles Harvey brought Half Mile / One Mile back on track with the equaliser as the breathtaking exchanges did not abate.
The Bangaree show for the Eagles continued and on 23 minutes he tilted the game back to their advantage from the penalty spot as Half Mile / One Mile again found themselves in foul trouble.
The go ahead goal sent the Eagles fans into a frenzy, but their celebrations only sought to bring out even more, the fighting spirit in their opponents.
Conscious that time was quickly winding down, C. Beckles pulled one out of the bag for his side when he converted the equalizing goal in the 25th minute.
The remaining 5 minutes did not produce anymore goals which sent the game into penalty kicks. After the first three for each side the scores were still locked at 2-2; both sides having missed once each.
It was now down to sudden death penalty kicks, eagles netted thrice, Half Mile / One Mile missing their third after scoring the first two.
Some of their {Half Mile / One Mile} supporters felt that the ball which hit the two uprights before exiting the goal went over the line but the officials ruled otherwise. When the final whistle was sounded, there was an invasion of the playing area by the Eagles fans as they lifted the players in celebration of their passage into the championship game this evening; it is expected to be a riveting spectacle with hundreds of supporters and fans expected to be in attendance.
The first semifinal was not short of excitement either; Coomacka, a dominant unit prior to this game just could not get it right against Retrieve Unknowns.
Coomacka like to play a physical game and the referees would have not of that as they found themselves in foul trouble in the clash of the sides from the East.
Daniel George and Shackee Charles were the scorers for Retrieve Unknowns with Coomacka’s consolation effort converted by Kevin Daw one minute to game time.
The third place match-up will feature the semifinal losers – Half Mile / One Mile against Coomacka before the big clash. All the teams (final four) are expected to be outfitted this evening in uniforms compliments of Banks DIH and Guinness.
Meanwhile, a number of exhibition matches preceded Thursday evening’s semifinals; Rasta humbled Baldheads, Referees lost to Promoters, who took the two best in three series 1-2, Star Girls were too hot for Speightland Butterflies to handle, while Future humiliated Nurses 6-1.
A number of exhibition matches will be played before the climax of this tournament which was played in Linden for the first time.
A total of 32 teams drawn from 8 areas started the competition but it is now down to the final four. Officials of Banks DIH Limited including Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste are expected to be on hand this evening.

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