Grove continue dominance of EBFA football with GFF/NAMILCO U-17 triumph

Dec 14, 2017 Sports

Highway United a club to watch

Grove Hi Tech has continued their dominance of football on the East Bank by recently winning the inaugural GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 Intra Association League which ended on

Grove Hi Tech and Highway United (formerly Circuit Ville Jaguars) doing battle.

December 1, last the Grove Playfield.
They ended as the only unbeaten club after their quota of 16 matches, eight in each of the two rounds contested. The league had kicked off in June of 2016 and the first round ended in November of 2016.
The prolonged rainy season this year stretched out the start and completion of the second round which was finally completed on December 1st, last.
But even before the league was completed, Grove had already wrapped up victory ending with a flawless 48 points from their 16 matches winning every match, a record performance by the young lads.
The players combined to score a total of 45 goals, while only conceding five, three of which were conceded in the second round; goalkeeper Usher Jones enjoying a fantastic league standing between the uprights in every match.
The multi talented defender Kevin Padmore ended with the most goals for Grove, seven in total. Padmore and a number of his teammates participated in the just concluded Ministry of Education (MOE)/Guyana Teachers’ Union 57th National Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track & Field championships.
Padmore competed in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay; Mark Garraway contested the High Jump, Marlon Hyman (Javelin) and Jamassi Benjamin (Discuss) and Orwin Hunte.
Coach Levi Braithwaite in an invited comment said that his charges once again did their best and reaped the rewards as a result of dedicated work and training. He singled out for special mention, Padmore, Jones, Akel Forde, Paul Fields and Tyrel Khan who joined them in the second round from Soesdyke Falcons.
”First of all I must say congrats to the players for such an excellent performance, I feel encouraged and willing to go the miles with them not just because they have won the league and did it in fine style, but they have exhibited and executed admirably what we did in training and it makes me proud.”
Prior to the GFF/NAMILCO league, Grove were the Sunburst Under-17 champions so they have just extended their dominance at this level in the EBFA.
Meanwhile, Highway United, have taken the EBFA by storm finishing second overall in their debut season. The team, which is based at Yarrowkabra on the Linden Soesdyke Highway, have displayed a high tendency to succeed ever since their first match which they drew 3-3 with fellow Linden Soesdyke Highway based side, Kuru Kururu Warriors.
Incidentally, the Warriors were just ahead of the Highway United at the end of the first round on goals but the latter stormed back in the second round top edge the Warriors to the second place trophy.
Certainly, many more exciting days between these two sides and the other teams (Diamond United, Agricola Red Triangle, Mocha Champs, Herstelling Raiders, Soesdyke Falcons, Friendship All Stars, Diamond Upsetters) are ahead which augurs well for the sport on the East Bank and by extension, Guyana.