UDFA GT Beer football final decided Eagles United shootout champions, Net Rockers disconnect Winners Connection 1-0

Dec 30, 2018 Sports

Eagles United will face the might of arch rivals Net Rockers for championship honours after they came away with pulsating victories in the semifinal encounters against Botafago and Haynes and Lewis Winners Connection respectively in this year’s Upper Demerara Football Association’s GT Beer year end football championship played Friday night at the Mackenzie sports Club ground.
The two top ranked clubs are now set to confront each other on New Year’s Night as the tournament concludes at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

Denzil Pryce of Net Rockers

Playing in the first semifinal match Net Rockers, who were nudged out of being the champions of Upper Demerara via a goal difference tie breaker after both teams ended on 22 points in the Senior League championship, can now show their mettle in what will be a deciding game between the league’s two unbeaten teams in the last Senior League.
The Rockers began well with some nice buildups against Winners Connection before Winners responded with some of their own just after ten minutes had gone.
Winners Connection got a shot to goal and began taking the ball wide before sending crosses into the box. But Rockers would take the attack to the Winners side and the exchanges would be fairly even as both goalkeepers were called upon to intercept crosses inside.
By the 40th minute Rockers goalkeeper Compton Burnett was brought into the action with a good save and he was against put into the task of keeping the Winners Connection forwards at bay.
The first half would end with the scores nil all and four minutes after play resumed Burnett was again pressured into making a save as the Rockers defenders were asked to work overtime. When a chance came the Winners way in the 56th minute it was wasted by poor shooting technique.
However, Net Rockers showed their resolve and would mount challenges of their own causing the Winners Connection goalkeeper Shaquille Frank to clear some shots at the goal.
But the game would end in regulation play in a 0-0 stalemate and extra time was ordered.
The first period of overtime still did not see any change in the scores but in the 106th minute the defining moment came in favour of Rockers.
The ball would reach Denzil Fordyce and he would tap home the winner for Net Rockers.
That score did not change as the extra period ended and Rockers moving on to play for the championship.

Omar Brewley of Eagles United

Game two of the night was more promising as both teams asserted themselves early with some positive play.
Botafago looked early the more assertive of the two and would get in the first shots to the Eagles United goal. One such was cleared by the goalkeeper in the 14th minute and when Eagles won a free kick just outside the 18 yards box, their youthful player Omar Brewley playing a defensive role took the spot kick. It breached the wall and caught the Botafago goalkeeper Darius Frank by surprise as he failed to hold the powerful drive which went through his legs to score much to the amazement of his teammates in the 18thminute.
That shock goal by the Eagles was welcomed by their large following.
But ten minute later Botafago would against regain their composure with their running game as Eagles were more tactical as against their fast paced Botafago opponents.
Eagles goalkeeper Yannick Simon was called upon at times to stall the progress of the aggressive Botafago players up front and five minutes before the first half ended he was again called into play and was successful in grabbing the ball in threatening circumstances as play in the first session ended in the Christianburg team’s favour 1-0.
When play resumed Botafago got a real chance to even things but that header soared over the cross bar.
Pressing for the equaliser, Botafago would gain a free kick on the right side and Donovan Francis took it and sent the ball past the flailing hands of the Eagles goalkeeper guarding his near post as it flew into the far post corner to knot the game 1-1 in the 60th minute.
The battle was truly on but there would be no change and the teams were ordered to go into extra period of play to decide the winner.

Colwyn Drakes of Eagles

When the first period of overtime got underway both teams were forcing play but it would be Eagles United who went close to scoring when a cross connected in to the cross bar and in a quick turnaround Botafago would also see their shot hit the cross bar to the amazement of the fans in attendance.
Colwyn Drakes would give his team Eagles United the lead in the 100th minute but Botafago would be equal to the task when they were rewarded with another free kick on the left, deep into the Eagles half. This time, the shot taken by Jashwan Moore, would again head straight into the back of the net in the 118th minute. That 2-2 tie would result in penalty kicks being ordered by the referee.
Both sides scored the mandatory kicks but when sudden death was ordered Eagles scored their first and Botafago saw their shot saved, the game enduing 6-5 in favour of the Eagles United side.