Hikers, GCC ‘A’ teams serve up another delicious dish
Their first round battle saw the Hikers ‘A’ men’s team edging GCC ‘A’ by one goal scored two minutes from full time.
Friday evening saw the two teams serving up another delicious dish of hockey at the GT&T National Indoor Hockey Championships which ended in a 3-3 draw at full time.
Old Fort ‘A’ meanwhile were in no joking mood sweeping aside the inexperienced GCC ‘B’ 8 – 1 in the other ‘A’ division fixture.
Western Dragons held off Hikers ‘B’ 5-4 while the GCC Tigers crushed the Hikers ladies 5–1 in a dress rehearsal for yesterday’s final.
In the U-19 category, Old Fort U-19s defeated their GCC counterparts 6-4.
In the feature clash of the night a defence error allowed the ever present Robert France of Hikers to land on the score sheet just four minutes into the much anticipated battle between the Hikers ‘A’ and GCC ‘A.
With GCC taking a while once again to get out of the blocks it was left to Michael Xavier in the GCC goal to produce some fine saves to prevent further inroads.
GCC drew level four minutes later through veteran Alan Fernandes who received a Dwayne Scott pass from the right back and slotted one past the right leg of the advancing Hikers ‘keeper Azad DeAbreu.
Scott would make it 2-1 in GCC’s favour in the 15th minute with a blistering penalty corner flick giving his team the lead at halftime.
France would again prove to be GCC’s nemesis as the diminutive forward swept a first-time shot into the GCC goal five minutes after resumption to draw the teams even. The pace of the game never dropped as the two giants’ battled from end to end demanding outstanding goalkeeping from both Xavier and DeAbreu.
Just eight minutes from full time Shane Samuels launched a powerful penalty corner flick to give the Hikers a 3-2 lead.
However GCC’s Philip Fernandes scored in like manner just one minute later and though both teams scrambled for the win in the dying moments they could not break the 3-3 deadlock before the final buzzer.
Old Fort ‘A’ put on an 8-1 scoring clinic as they schooled the youthful GCC ‘B’ the only ‘B’ side in the ‘A’ division.
Master craftsman Aderemi Simon put his personal stamp on the game with a hat-trick and some outstanding individual runs while Chris Low-Koan added two goals and Dwayne Allen, Jason DeSantos and Ascofu Simon scored one goal each for Old Fort.
GCC’s lone goal came off the stick of Shaka Gill.
Deon Carew of the Western Dragons possibly scored the goal of the tournament as his diving attempt at a long ranged-pass with just seconds left on the clock was just enough to push the ball gently through the legs of the Hiker goalkeeper to give his side the 5-4 victory and a place in the final. The Dragons had raced to a 3-0 lead in the first nine minutes of the game through Gordon McKend, Keith Sampson and Trason Corbin who scored one each before the Hikers Robert France could pull one back.
While the Hikers would go on to score three more in the second half through Randy Hope, Renick Evelyn and Al Fredericks, the Dragons’ Andy Sampson and then Carew’s closer gave the Dragons the 5-4 victory.
The Hikers ladies were the recipients of a 5-1 mauling by Flora GCC Tigers.
Sisters Kerensa Fernandes with two goals and Captain Sonia Jardine with the hat-trick were on fire for the Tigers while the Hikers lone goal was scored by Avonda James.
The GCC under-19 side seemed headed for the upset victory over Old Fort as they held the 2-1 lead at the half, but Old Fort would march back in impressive form led by a hat-trick from Jamal Robertson, a double from Clarence Edwards and one goal from Kevin Melville. All four of GCC’s goals were scored by Eric Hing in their 6-4 defeat.
