Latest update January 1st, 2025 1:00 AM
Latest News
UDFA GT Beer Cup Football …First wins come as Panthers upset Winners connection 1-0, Milerock edge eagles 3-2
Two more matches on tonight
A lone strike by Marlon Simon handed the Amelia’s Ward Panthers their first full points as they shocked
Marlon Daniels
Federal Winners Connection with a 1-0 loss; while Milerock secured their first win also as they beat Eagles United 3-2, when the GT Beer Christmas football championship organised by the Upper Demerara football Association (UDFA) continued on Friday night at the tournament venue, the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.
Tonight two more matches in the group play will continue with unbeaten Silver Shattas, who lost in the final last year, up against Net Rockers at 18.00hrs and the other encounter at 20.00hrs brings together Hi Stars and Blueberry Hill.
In the first game Friday night, Milerock were able to put things together finally and gain their first victory although they were down before half time when Eagles stormed down the left wing. The Milerock right wing back was caught off balance and the through ball was accepted by Kendolph Lewis, who eluded another marker before neatly laying off a crisp shot one minute from half time to score in the 44th minute.
Milerock therefore were down 1-0 when play began in the final half, but their resilience under pressure was sound and they got the equaliser from a nice piece of team play.
It began at the top of the 18 yards box when Denzil Fordyce sent a pass to Lorenzo Miller, who
Lorenzo Miller
pushed it back to Fordyce and this was relayed to Clarence Huggins who ran on to the ball reaching inside the six yards box and with a right foot drive, scored in the 52nd minute to knot the scores 1-1.
Then Milerock’s flowing game saw the ball played down the right wing and a cross missed by two Eagles defenders, was latched on to by Miller using his left foot and jammed the ball in for their go ahead goal in the 59th minute, 2-1. Milerock by now were in control and their third goal of the game was achieved when another ball from the right going deep, was squared for Collyer Daniels to get a left foot shot to goal, as it reached the last post in the 64th minute, Milerock 3-1 ahead.
With six minutes before the game ended, the Eagles through Seon Barrett (Jr.) in the 84th minute, reduced the lead when he netted, but the final scores would read 3-2 for Milerock.
The Federal Winners Connection came into this game with the look of confidence but that soon evaporated as they found the goings tough against this Ward Panthers side. The Panthers seemed bent on getting their first win and their forceful play was always positive, while the Winners were more relaxed than necessary. This allowed the Panthers to press home a number of times, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
However, in the 41st minute the Panthers were rewarded with a free kick when Handel Morrison was brought down just outside the 18 yards area.
Clarence Huggins
Midfield player Marlon Simon was chosen to take the spot kick and his powerful shot pierced the wall of the champions and speared in for a 1-0 advantage which remained as the half time whistle was blown by referee Adbulla Hamid.
This meant that the Winners Connection would have to try save their two game winning streak, by first gaining the equalizer as they found the Panthers now more confident than ever and daring.
But the Winners Connection could not stave off the challenge of their opponents and the Panthers were getting the better of the exchanges. It was the Panthers who should have gotten a second goal when Paul Trotman failed on a one-on-one with the goalkeeper on a left side play and another was close when the Panthers’ player was brought down just outside the 18 yards box in the dying moments of the game.
But the final whistle would come with the Panthers gaining a deserved win and making the race towards the semifinals in this ten team tournament, which is split into groups of five, pretty interesting just past the midway stage.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The eternal optimism of the human spirit
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Every New Year’s Eve, like clockwork, we engage in a ritual that is predictable as... more
Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The year 2024 has underscored a grim reality: poverty continues to be an unyielding... more
Weekend Cartoon
