GFC upset league leaders Pele

- in GFA/Stag Beer first division tourney

A Keron Solomon master-class aided by a gritty defensive showing led by custodian Kevin Barton, powered GFC to a 2-0 upset win over league leaders Pele in the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Stag Beer First Division Tourney on Wednesday.

Hosted at the Tucville community ground, Solomon found the back of the net on two occasions, netting a first half double with strikes in the 23rd and 35th minutes. The victory has put the Bourda side into fifth position with 10 points from as many games. With the defeat, Pele remains at the zenith of the standings on 28 points from 11 fixtures.

Opting to field a young and inexperienced unit, GFC would stun the small viewership as they took the lead with their

GFC’s matching win duo of Keron Solomon (right) and Kevin Barton after their thrilling win over Pele
GFC’s matching win duo of Keron Solomon (right) and Kevin Barton after their thrilling win over Pele

first very attempt of the match-up. Awarded a left-sided spot-kick following the keeper handling the ball outside the area, the nippy forward would unleash a curling right-footed effort that struck the outstretched hand of the Pele custodian before crashing into the right upright and into the back of the net.

GFC’s early lead was almost nullified in the 30th minute as a powerful 26-yard right-footed Shemroy Arthur strike from the centre of the field, came cannoning off the crossbar. Their recent slice of fortune would seem to galvanise the Bourda unit as they increased their lead five minutes later with Solomon sealing his double.

Breaking the offside trap to latch onto a perfectly played through pass, Solomon would clinically dispatch his right-footed effort past the advancing custodian into the lower left hand corner, after being in a one-on-one situation within the centre of the box.

With the scores unchanged going into the second period, Pele would once again be denied a goal in the 65th minute by Barton.

Given a free kick after a foul outside the centre of the area, Arthur would see his right-footed strike tipped around the right upright acrobatically by the GFC custodian, who brilliantly changed direction after being wrong-footed by a deflection within his defensive wall.

Content to sit back and absorb pressure for most of the period, the GFC backline was almost breached in the 81st minute through a Marlon Nedd strike. Evading his marker within the left side of the box, Nedd with only Barton in his path would let loose a powerful right-footed effort that was parried confidently to safety by the GFC custodian.

Meanwhile in the opening match-up, fourth positioned unit the Guyana Police Force (GPF) brutalised cellar dwellers Beacons FC by a 6-1 score line.

Leron Charles opened the scoring for the lawmen in the second minute through a volleyed effort from within the area into the back of the net. Kevin Allicock would then add to the score line 10 minutes later, netting with a simple finish down the middle of the goal, after the Beacons keeper missed an attempted defensive clearance.

It then became 3-0 in the 26th minute as Anthio Wallace netted, slotting home his effort into the empty goal, after collecting a left-sided pass following a two-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. Josiah Charles eventually pulled one back for Beacons in the 70th minute, lashing his attempt down the middle of the goal from within the left side of the penalty box, after the Police shot-stopper inadvertently cleared the ball into the his path.

However, the Eve Leary-based side would quickly restore their three-goal advantage two minutes later, through a Janson Jack right-footed strike into the lower right-hand corner, from within the centre of the area. The score line would continue to inflate as Andy Carrol netted in the 78th minute, stabbing his right-footed effort down the centre of the net from within the middle of the box, following a one-on-one situation with the keeper.

Rawle Haynes then completed the huge win for the lawmen six minutes later with a flat right-footed shot to the centre of the net, after evading the onrushing challenge of the Beacons custodian inside the middle of the 18 yard box.

With the win, GPF moved to 15 points from                        10 games while Beacons remain in the cellar spot with three points from 10 games. League action is slated to continue today at the same venue with a doubleheader.

In the opening fixture at 6pm, third placed side Camptown will face off against seventh positioned Flamingo FC while home side and second place unit Fruta Conquerors will look to capitalise on Pele’s unexpected loss when they tackle sixth placed Northern Rangers at 8pm.

Current Points Standings

Team                                                           Games                             Pts

Pele FC                                                         11                                    28

Fruta Conquerors                                    9                                     22

Sunburst Camptown                               9                                     19

Guyana Police Force                             10                                    15

Georgetown Football Club                  10                                    10

Northern Rangers FC                             9                                       9

Flamingo FC                                             10                                      7

Beacons FC                                                10                                     3