GCC and Hikers play to stalemate

Hikers and Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) battled to a 2-2 draw as play continued in the Farfan and Mendes men’s first division hockey league yesterday at GCC ground, Bourda.

GCC’s defence, spearheaded by Dwayne Scott and Damon Woodroffe kept the marauding Hikers strikers at bay, which saw the former team ahead 1-0 at half time. But on the resumption Robert France equalised for Hikers in the 33rd minute after an excellent build up by the Hikers’ strikers.

GCC was reduced to 10 players when Orlando Semple was sent off by umpire Jonathan Yearwood for ungentlemanly conduct midway in the second session of play.

Hikers strikers Jerry Bell and Alex Gouveia stave off a challenge by GCC’s Philip Fernandes (7) and Devin Hooper.

Both teams tried desperately to take the lead once again and it went to Hikers whose young talented striker Shaquille Assannah netted his team’s second goal in the 56th and followed with a second attempt after GCC’s goalkeeper failed to make a clean save.  However, the lead was short lived. One minute later, veteran midfielder Alan Fernandes scored the equaliser for the Bourda side after evading the Hikers defence three minutes from the final whistle. The competition continues on Friday with Hikers doing battle with Old Fort at the same venue starting at 16:45 hrs. In the opening match of the competition last Friday GCC took first blood against Old Fort winning 2-1. GCC seemed the more comfortable of the two teams as they threatened the Old Fort goal making several raids but failing on the shot in the opening ten minutes.

Old Fort weathered the storm through a solid defence marshalled by veteran sweeper Wayne St Jules. They found their rhythm mid-way in the first half to earn several short-corners in their favour but failed to produce any goals.
With the exciting first half concluding with scores still level at 0-0, spectators were treated to an equally entertaining and more productive second half.
Centre striker Kevin Spencer finally broke the deadlock in the 40th minute completing a string of GCC passes to feint and guide the ball neatly around Old Fort goalkeeper Michel Smith who had hit the dirt in an effort to stop the expected first shot.

Old Fort did not give up, however, and continued to match the Bourda boys with speedy counter-attacks in contrast to the GCC’s more deliberate build-ups.
In the 50th minute right wing Aderemi Simon struck goal as his powerful shot from the top of the circle found the tin at the back of the goal to draw the scores even at one a piece.

It was Spencer’s day however as just five minutes later he would pounce on a penalty corner rebound to register his second in similar fashion to the first.