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NaMilCo Football Festival…Riddim Squad replaces Alpha United in semi-finals
-Fruta Conquerors and GDF to battle for place in final
By Rawle Welch
The chosen departure from the NaMilCo Football Festival by defending champions 
Alpha United has given Riddim Squad another opportunity to progress further in the competition when they go up against Beacons in the first of two semi-finals today, at the Tucville ground.
Riddim Squad were the last team to play Alpha United in the tournament where they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat and the organizers have decided that by virtue of the sudden withdrawal of Alpha United, the next best thing to do is to allow their quarter-final opponents to contest the semi-finals against Beacons.
According to President of Fruta Conquerors, the club identified as the organizers of the Festival, all the relevant organizations have been notified of the change and all is set for a riveting night of action.
Cole said Beacons, the Georgetown Football Association, sponsors, referees and fans are all aware of the new development and he foresees no unnecessary complications, while assuring fans that the games will be played.
Meanwhile, in Friday night’s remaining quarter-finals, Fruta Conquerors ace striker Pernell Schultz, who recently returned from a stint with the Golden Jaguars, announced his arrival in emphatic fashion, hammering in a hat-trick to lead his team to an easy 4-2 triumph over GFC.
The Bourda Blues took the lead as early as the 7th minute when Alden Lawrence scored, but Schultz responded in the 37th to ensure that the scores were level at the half.
He returned five minutes into the second period to give Conquerors the ascendancy, before teammate Jahal Greaves added another in the 63rd which gave them a 3-1 cushion.
However, GFC’s Selwyn Williams netted in the 71st which made the proceedings a bit more interesting, before the irresistible Schultz put the game beyond doubt with his third in the 87th minute of play.
In the other game, GDF’s Desford Williams’ 10th minute strike was all that mattered as they eliminated Santos to move into the semi-finals to set up a mouth watering clash against Conquerors.
The Army has looked in good condition and has progressed under the stewardship of former national goalkeeper turned Coach Denzil Thompson, while Conquerors, one of few teams to beat Alpha United in recent times locally have developed into a formidable unit under the astute guidance of Head Coach Sampson Gilbert, who has guided a bunch of players with an average age of 18 years into one of the better teams locally and it would be interesting to see how they perform against a sturdy and improved GDF side.
In the other semi-final, Beacons looked impressive in their last encounter against the seasoned Sunburst Camptown and even though the game was decided on penalty kicks, they performed beyond expectations and are in with a real chance of making it to the final.
Riddim Squad is usually a tough opponent, but it would be fascinating to see if they could take advantage of the sudden reprieve offered to come out in the mental frame of mind to duplicate their last performance.
With that said, one thing is almost certain, apart from the unfortunate withdrawal of the reigning champs, the next best teams are in the last four and fans will be entertained from 19:00 hrs, at the Tucville ground.
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