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Stag Elite League… Pele edge GFC to take lead following rousing first day; Alpha & Slingerz draw
Dwayne Jacobs (left) on the prowl against Slingerz.
By Franklin Wilson
Goals either side of play from Deon Alfred and Jumane Summerset propelled Pele to a 2-1 win and a position at the top of the leader board when the historic Guyana Football Federation organized Stag Elite League kicked off on Friday night at the Leonora Track & Field Facility, Football Filed.
A sizable crowd witnessed a contrasting evening of football and got a good indication of what is to come as the feature game petered out into an exciting 0-0 draw between the nation’s top clubs sides, Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United and Slingerz Football Club.
Pele, led by the experienced duo of Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant ably backed up by Omallo Williams and Deon Alfred initiated their team’s triumph and a full share of the points by dominating GFC in the early exchanges.
While their experience paid off, GFC, led by another seasoned campaigner, Shad Fernandes displayed signs of being a force to reckon with as this league matures. Orchestrating many of the Pele raids in GFC’s attacking third were Grant who controlled the engine room (midfield) with Richardson and Williams along with Alfred piling on the pressure up front.
This combination it was that would hand Pele the lead 38 minutes into the match. On Grant’s assist, Alfred clinically hit the ball past custodian Derrick Carter to his left in the 38th minute following another of Pele’s final third runs.
It was the first goal that heralded the beginning of a new era in league football here. A new era in every regard from organising to how the teams would have been composed and the level of emphasis placed on preparation; clubs also having to be licensed in order to make the grade.
GFC in this new dispensation have come a long way and showed that they deserve to be in contention. Their young side made many runs of their own but were kept at bay by the opposition’s defence led by the formidable Shemroy Arthur.
After the break, Pele wasted little time in doubling their advantage when Jumane Summerset found the back of the nets three minutes into the second half. While it was a comfortable position to be in for the leaders, GFC did not let up and kept pushing forward.
Both teams made substitutions the same time (47, 76, 81) but it was GFC that looked the more dangerous in the final quarter of an hour. They did reduce the deficit on the stroke of full time when Lennox Cort blasted home. And even as GFC were closing in on neutralizing Pele’s advantage, time was certainly not on their side as the referee blew the final whistle to end proceedings; Pele 2 GFC 1.
The feature game between two sides that have been going at each other ever since the younger of the two, Slingerz came on the scene about two years ago, produced action end to end at a blistering pace.
Pound for pound, Slingerz featured a more experienced line up of players but Alpha United matched their rivals play for play much to the delight of the animated fans who came out in reasonable numbers to be a part of history.
Alpha’s most recognized players were the trio of Quincy Madramootoo, Philbert Moffatt and Grenadian National player Kithson Baine along with their young brigade including Clive Matthews Jr., Jamal Codrington and Captain Daniel Wilson.
Slingerz were being led by Captain Tichard Joseph, Vurlon Mills, Dwayne Jacobs, King Solomon Austin, Colin Nelson, Domini Garnett and Devon Millington among other former and current national players.
Both sides served up an entertaining brand of football and while chances were created at both ends, the goalkeepers played their roles in keeping the scoresheets clean. What is for sure is that the other teams in the league have got to be at their best in order to keep either Alpha or Slingerz at bay. Both teams collected a point each.
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