Western Tigers knock out defending champs Milerock

 

A new champion will be crowned in the Petra Organization/Limacol Football Championship after defending champs Milerock were knocked out by Western Tigers 1-0 in the quarterfinal round on Sunday.

Both sides were guilty of spurning several chances in a scoreless first half at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground, Linden and it was the visitors who finally broke the deadlock through talented forward Joshua Britton in the 57th minute.

Lurking inside the centre of the penalty area, Britton collected a cross from rising star Darren Benjamin and smashed a powerful right foot shot into the roof of the net.

Colin Nelson should have doubled Western Tigers’ lead in the 76th minute. Racing away from the backline he found himself in a-one-on-one situation but was denied by the advancing goalkeeper after trying to cut across the penalty area.

Akeem Greene almost fashioned the equalizer in the 87th minute, directing a powerful header onto the left upright, after rising high to make contact with a left side cross, much to the relief of the opposing custodian.

With the victory, the West Ruimveldt outfit will now lock horns with Santos in the semifinals Friday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground in Bourda.

In the other fixture Federal Winners Connection edged Eagles 1-0 in a bruising Linden derby.

Veteran sharpshooter Rene Gibbons settled the outcome in the 62nd minute, pouncing on a defensive lapse to setup up a semifinal date with the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Gibbons latched onto a loose ball between the two centre-halves inside the middle of the box, before volleying a powerful strike into the top left hand corner, giving the goalkeeper no chance and silencing the partisan crowd.

Despite having majority of the possession, Eagles failed to generate any penetration with their best opportunity occurring in the 17th minute when Kendolph Lewis spurned a great chance.

Sprinting onto a through pass inside the left side of the box, Lewis failed to control the ball with only the goalkeeper in his path, before crossing the ball in desperation wide of the target.