Latest update December 4th, 2024 2:40 AM
Digicel Schools Football Championship…Leonora beat Uitvlugt 4-2 to take Region 3 top spot
Leonora Secondary School behind a hat-trick from their dapper forward Gavin Graham recorded an exciting 4-2 win over rivals Uitvlugt Secondary at the Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground to emerge as champions of Region 3 for the second time in a row in the Digicel Schools Football Championship.
Leonora’s Gavin Graham (2nd left) heads the ball past outstretched hands of Uitvlugt’s goalie Shwan Brower for his schools 2nd goal and the 1st of his three.
Playing in the Zone final yesterday afternoon in overcast conditions, the Leonora side proved why there are the best in the business on the West Demerara racing to an imposing 4-0 advantage by the 51st minute of the contest. Ironically, Leonora it was that defeated Uitvlugt in last year’s Zone finals also.
For all of 56 minutes, Uitvlugt seemed to be at a loss and were at sea as to how they should counter the many offensive plays by the Leonora unit. When they {Uitvlugt} finally got their act together, they proved a thorn in the flesh of the Leonora side which somehow lost the earlier dominance they were displaying.
Leonora however, got into the act of scoring in the 10th minute. Midfielder and playmaker Leo Lovell took the shot from the eastern corner of the southern goal. His curling right foot shot seemed to be heading into touch but it didn’t as the ball eluded the defenders and goalkeeper Shawn Brower who were looking at each other to cover the ball.
Ten minutes hence, goal number two came Leonora’s way, the first of three for Graham. Engineering the play was Lovell from another corner, this time it was taken short with Lovell passing to Jamal Pereira who then lobbed the ball in the air for Graham to rise above the Uitvlugt defence and goalkeeper to put the ball away in the 20th minute.
By now Uitvlugt seemed to just be following the flow as they were not able to stem the many moves forward by Leonora. Graham again hit the target in the 35th minute finishing clinically on an assist from Tevin Garraway.
The break came with Leonora leading comfortably, 3-0. On the resumption, it was the same script but a different half. It did not take too long for Leonora to register goal number four and it was going to be Graham who was the player at the end of the play in the 51st minute.
But five minutes later, Uitvlugt, urged on by their supporters, suddenly sprung to life. They were awarded a penalty and made it count, compliments of Shomol Smith.
Leonora Sec. Sch. Head Teacher Ms. Aileen Williams pose with her winning students after they won the Region 3 Zone of the Digicel Schools Football Championship.
The pendulum thereafter swung in the home team’s favour as the Leonora team went to sleep. The raids and shots were many. Leonora’s custodian Lindsay Scott, who had a very quiet first half was called into action on multiple occasions and stood up to the task.
Uitvlugt further narrowed down the deficit with three minutes to full time when David Blake rocked the nets. By now the Leonora team were in panic mode with Uitvlugt on the offensive.
But time would have always going to be their {Uitvlugt} biggest hurdle as they took way too long to come to life. Soon after, Referee Colin Bowry sounded the final whistle to signal the end of proceedings and formalizing Leonora’s triumph.
The win for the second year in a row by Leonora in the Zone final was witnessed by the school’s Head Teacher; Ms. Aileen Williams was on hand to lend support to her students and teachers who did not let her down.
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