Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
Independence Cup 2015…Defending champs Slingerz to face Ann’s Grove in Father’s Day final
By Franklin Wilson
Defending champions and host club, Slingerz FC overcame an early scare to comfortably ease into the
Gideon Payne
final of the 2015 Independence Cup knock-out via a 3-2 margin in their semi final against Pele FC on Friday night at the Leonora Football Field.
In the other semi final it was not as easy, despite going 3-0 up by the end of the first half, East Demerara’s Ann’s Grove had to hold on for dear life as the rampaging Fruta Conquerors pulled out all the stops but fell short as Ann’s Grove eked out a 3-2 win to earn the right to face Slingerz on June 21st at the same venue.
It was a total all round effort from the Slingerz unit Coached by National Under-23 assistant Coach Joseph ‘Bill’ Wilson, an experienced tactician. Clearly the better oiled unit, Slingerz found themselves trailing from as early as the 3rd minute when Okene Fraser pounced on loose ball which was not grasped cleanly by custodian Simon Emanuel to rock the back of the nets.
Despite giving up an early goal, Slingerz kept their offensive ambitions high and were the more dominant side, eventually firing in the equalizer five minutes before the half through a well orchestrated strike from the nippy, Gideon Payne.
In the second half, Pele were not able to duplicate their first half form in terms of scoring and it was all Slingerz FC. Clive Nobrega who missed out on National team duties for Wednesday’s World Cup Qualifying game away to St. Vincent & the Grenadines owing to a red card in the Suriname friendly in May, handed Slingerz the lead in the 60th minute.
The game was put beyond the reach of Pele when another national team selectee, Dwain Jacobs rocked the
Kevon Barry
back of the nets in the 79th minute to seal Pele’s fate and secure Slingerz’ place in the championship game.
Slingerz defeated East Bank’s Grove Hi Tech 2-0 in their quarter final game while Pele had taken care of business against Uitvlugt 2-1.
Ann’s Grove, having won their quarter final game against Den Amstel 2-1, kept their winning ways intact and almost self destruct as they put away Fruta conquerors in a close battle. The East Coast side ran away to a 3-0 advantage for the end of the first half, compliments of a double off the boot of Kevon Barry (23, 26) and Andre Francis who opened the scoring in the 5th minute.
The mountain was too high for Conquerors, one of eight Elite Club sides that will contest the Guyana Football Federation Elite League set to kick off in August, to climb despite their valiant effort in second half.
They dominated proceedings even as Ann’s Grove looked very ordinary as they perhaps felt they had done enough in the opening half. Conquerors, through a Seon Hescott brace in the 51st and 62nd minute turned the game on its head for a period as the Ann’s Grove fans were kept on the edges of their seats, the Conquerors fans also found themselves in a similar position. Conquerors though, could have sealed the game but lapses in the attacking third denied them that win and it was Ann’s Grove that ended as the happier unit.
Fruta Conquerors and Pele will now contest the third place game on June 21st which would be followed by the final between Slingerz and Ann’s Grove.
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