Uitvlugt Football Club was Saturday night eliminated from the Vitamalt/Aqua Mist-sponsored West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) knockout tourney, forfeiting their match against Den Amstel after refusing to take the field in the second half because of the lighting at the Den Amstel Ground.
Down 1-3 at half time, Uitvlugt’s decision not to contest the second half resulted from the failure of one of the mobile lighting towers to provide what they felt was adequate light.
The officials duly conducted an inspection of the playing area and subsequently deemed the lighting sufficient enough to restart the match.
However, the Uitvlugt management, following discussions with the match officials, deemed the light in their opinion not satisfactory for the match to continue.
Nonetheless, the officials, after further consultation with the management staff of Uitvlugt, said that the club could not decide if the lighting was acceptable as such a decision could only be made by the presiding match officials.
They added that if Uitvlugt refused to continue they would automatically forfeit the fixture. The visitors, despite the warning from the officials, maintained the lightning was insufficient in their estimation and forfeited the fixture.
Prior to the unfortunate conclusion, Travis Hilliman gave the home side the early lead in the very first minute, lobbing his right footed effort over the advancing ‘keeper from right side of the box down the middle of the goal.
Uitvlugt would level proceedings in the 11th minute as Keon Duke netted, rounding the onrushing ‘keeper and finishing into the empty net from the centre of the area, after breaking the offside trap to latch onto a through pass.
However, Den Amstel would retake the lead in the 35th minute with Andre Hector finishing unchallenged into the empty net from inside the centre of the six-yard area after Delon Lanferman evaded the ‘keeper within the right side of box and squared the ball into his path.
Playing provider for the earlier goal, Lanferman would then etch his name onto the scorer’s sheet four minutes onward, placing his effort into the lower left hand corner of the net from within the penalty area.
Due to the technical win, Den Amstel will now faceoff with Slingerz FC in the grand finale on December 26th at the same venue, after the Vergenoegen side squeaked past Pouderoyen 1-0 in the opening semi-final.
Anthony `Awo’ Abrams sent the early warning shot for Slingerz in the 12th minute, directing his right footed effort narrowly wide of the left corner after collecting a right sided cross within the centre of the area.
The crossbar would then come to the rescue of the defensive minded Pouderoyen side in the 37th minute as Abrams from the centre of the box once more, rifled his first time effort into the woodwork after collecting a flat left sided cross.
Satisfied with defending for prolonged periods, Pouderoyen almost stole the lead in the 63rd minute as a powerfully struck Sherwin Bernard effort from the top of the box, was denied by the outstretched hand of the Slingerz custodian following a full stretch dive to his left.
Pouderoyen’s defensive heroics would finally be breached in the 71st minute compliments of a Tichard Joseph effort.
Lurking at the top of the penalty area, the combative midfielder would rifle his right footed effort into the top left hand corner, after a Pouderoyen backline failed to properly clear an initial Devon Millington right sided cross.
