The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was sent packing from the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Stag Beer Futsal tourney as they went down Alpha ‘the Hammer’ United by a 5-1 margin on Thursday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue.
Needing a win to keep their hopes alive of progressing to the next round, GDF would get off to the worst possible start as Kirk Duckworth opened the scoring for Alpha in the third minute, with a powerful finish to the left hand corner from the centre of the field.
The army unit would fire back one minute later as Eusi Phillips netted from the penalty mark to the left hand corner of the goal, after being brought down just inside the area by Duckworth.
However, Alpha would reestablish their lead under fortuitous circumstances in the sixth minute through a Dwight Peters finish down the middle of the goal, after an initial left sided strike took a deflection off the right upright and fell favorably into his path down the centre of the field.
The `Hammers’ would then seize further control of the matchup three minutes later as Daniel Wilson added to their tally, volleying his right footed shot into the right hand corner after latching onto a lobbed right sided cross on the left side of the flank.
The army’s woes would continue to increase in the 19th minute as Ronson Williams scored with a right sided strike into the left hand corner.
The win would then be completed in the 22nd minute compliments of a Travis Grant effort into the top right hand corner from the centre of the area, following a neat pass combination between himself and Wilson outside the left side of the penalty box.
With the win, Alpha move onto nine points from three games while GDF remain on zero points from two games. Joining Alpha in the second round from the group will be Beacons FC who finished on six points from three games.
Also eliminated from the tourney are the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who lost to Santos by a 1-0 score line. Requiring a win to stand a chance of progressing, the lawmen conceded an unfortunate goal as Anthony Abrams netted in the 10th minute.
Due to the loss, GPF remain on three points from as many games while Santos move onto three points from their allotted three matchups.
In other results, defending champs Fruta Conquerors and Western Tigers battled to a nil-all draw in the final matchup of the night while Riddim Squad crushed Northern Rangers 6-2 in the third fixture to seal their quarterfinal berth.
Sceyon Hopes registered a double in the third and 13th minutes for the Mocha based side while Amos Ramsay, Dorville Stewart, Terrence Gittens and Kevin Agard netted in the fourth, ninth, 15th and 19th minutes correspondingly.
On target for the losers in the 20th and 21st minutes were Jermin Willis and Joel Jammott respectively. New kids on the block Black Water FC earned their berth to the knock-out stage as they defeated Houston Stars 3-1 in the fourth fixture.
Jermaine Beckles, Stephon Christopher and Matthew Barrow netted for the winners in the fourth, seventh and 10th minutes respectively. In the fifth matchup, Pele punched their ticket to the knockout stage as they downed Georgetown Football Club (GFC) 2-0.
Calvin Shepherd and Omallo Williams were on target for the winners in the fourth and sixth minutes respectively.
With the group stage completed, the teams making the trip to the quarterfinal round are Alpha United, Beacons FC, Pele FC, Riddim Squad, Black Water FC, Fruta Conquerors, Western Tigers and Santos FC.
