Slingerz FC and Boystown FC, Jamaica, played to an exciting 1-1 draw when the Vizion Sports and Entertainment Agency Caribbean Inter-club football matches commenced on Wednesday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda.
In a fixture highlighted by physical play and intermittent power outages, the Vergenoegen team opened the scoring in the 19th minute through an Anthony Abrams conversion down the middle of the goal from inside the penalty box.
A lobbed pass from the midfield to Devon Millington just outside the 18- yard box led to a terrible mistake by the Boystown custodian, as he failed to make contact with the ball upon rushing off his line to clear, allowing Abrams to pounce on a loose ball unmarked and score.
André Dawson should have levelled the scores in the 37th minute for the Jamaican side, only to be denied by last ditch defending on the part of the Slingerz rear guard.
Lurking inside the centre of the penalty box, Dawson upon collecting a right-sided pass, had his initial and rebounded right-footed strikes denied by the outstretched legs of the Slingerz defenders.
The open nature of the fixture continued following the start of the second period with the Vergenoegen side guilty of wasting a glorious chance of doubling their lead in the 56th minute.
Racing into the penalty box from the left side of the field, Millington placed his effort narrowly over the crossbar from just outside the six-yard area, after collecting a perfectly placed Anthony Abrams flat left-sided cross.
A moment of sheer quality from Rafiek Thomas almost brought parity back to the proceedings in the 67th minute for the visitors.
Receiving a pass just inside the centre of the penalty box, Thomas skipped past his marker with his deft footwork before lashing his flat right-footed attempt wide of the right post, with only the keeper standing in his way.
However a goalkeeping blunder by Richard Reynolds led to the deserved equaliser in the 90th minute as Peter Keys etched his name on the score sheet.
Standing outside the penalty area, Keys struck his lobbed effort from a poorly cleared free kick into the empty net, after Reynolds rushed off his line recklessly in a failed attempt to prevent the threat.
After the timely equaliser, further misery befell the local side as Clive Nobrega was shown a straight red card in the 90th +2 minute of injury time for striking an opposing player.
The action continues today at the Buxton Ground, East Coast Demerara from 6.00pm with a doubleheader. In the opening fixture, Alpha United and Slingerz FC will rekindle their rivalry in an eagerly anticipated matchup.
In the feature contest at 8.00pm, home-side Buxton United will battle the Jamaican Boystown FC.
