East Coast Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Competition...Nabaclis send defending champ Melanie ‘A’ packing

East Coast Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Competition…Nabaclis send defending champ Melanie ‘A’ packing

Mar 29, 2015 Sports

– Plaisance ‘A’, Melanie ‘B’, BV ‘A’ also into semis

By Rawle Welch
It was a night when no quarters was asked and none given as defending champion

Plaisance ‘A’ leading marksman Warren Gilkes (green bib) battles for possession of the ball with an opposing player during their encounter against Paradise on Friday evening.

Melanie ‘A’ crashed out of this year’s East Coast segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Competition which continued on Friday evening, at the Haslington Tarmac.
The former champ’s demise came courtesy of a telling counterattack by underdogs Nabaclis which culminated with Akamo Jack’s blazing volley into the goal from a cross from the left flank in the 14th minute of play.
They had survived a series of raids at their goal area and had it not been for poor finishing the result might have been different, but the former champion have only themselves to blame as chance after chance went a-begging.
In another encounter that produced a surprise result, Melanie ‘B’ booked their place in the semi-final after resisting a stubborn Buxton unit who could be deemed a bit unfortunate to succumb to a fortuitous goal off the head of Amuneke Jack whose glancing effort from a lobbed past landed into the goal in the 9th minute of play.
They managed to survive numerous raids after that, before the final whistle sounded much to their relief and set them up for one of the prizes on offer.
The most competitive game of the night saw former champion Plaisance ‘A’ place themselves in a position to return to the championship game after coming from behind to defeat a fearless

Part of quarter-final action between eventual winners Melanie ‘B’ and Buxton on Friday, at the Haslington Tarmac.

Paradise team.
Paradise had taken the lead following a moment of indecisiveness on the part of the Plaisance ‘A’ backline with two defenders left contemplating who should clear a feeble shot from Darwin London only to watch in dismay as the ball trickled over the line for the opening goal after just three minutes of play.
The Paradise unit continued to press forward in search of another goal, but four minutes later another defensive blunder this time on their part accounted for Plaisance ‘A’ opening goal when Carlos Mathews fired a powerful shot from just over the halfway line that eluded everyone and cannoned into the back of the goal.
Urged on by their supporters, Plaisance ‘A’ talisman Warren Gilkes, who had been kept quiet all evening suddenly burst into life and pounced on a pass from the back, weaved past one defender, before hitting a ferocious shot off the side of his left-foot past a desperate last back that screamed into the goal to evoke rapturous celebrations among their supporters.
It was a timely reminder of his class and also preserved his feat of scoring in every one of their games to date.
In the night’s opener, BV ‘A’ made light work of their ‘B’ counterparts with a lopsided 3-0 win through goals from Akeem Curry, who netted a brace in the 1st and 19th minutes and the dreadlocked Delroy Deen’s 7th minute strike.
The semi-finals will be played on Wednesday at the same venue with BV ‘A’ taking on Plaisance ‘A’ and giant killers Nabaclics tackling Melanie ‘B’.