A simple defensive error by Slingerz FC in the dying moments led to Gregory Richardson snatching the dramatic equaliser in the 90th+2 minute as Pele maintained their lead at the top of the GFF Stag Beer Elite League on Friday.
With the fixture looking destined for a 1-0 result in the favour of the Vergenoegen side following a Domini Garnette 38th minute goal, an attempted pass from right-wing back Les Charles Critchlow led the aforesaid error, allowing Pele to steal the point at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ground.
Intercepting the pass of the wing-back just outside the right half of the box, Royan Morrison passed the ball while being challenged by the advancing centre half to the waiting Richardson, who smashed his effort emphatically into the lower right hand corner, sending the partisan crowd into a frenzy.
Due to the draw, Pele, on eight points, remain at the top of the standings with Slingerz FC moving to six points and in third position.
Prior to the fixture’s dramatic conclusion, Garnette gave the Vergenoegen giants the lead seven minutes before the half time interval, towering over the field to power his header into the centre of the net, after a right side cross into the six yard area from Colin Nelson.
Vurlon Mills then came the close to doubling the lead two minutes into the second stanza, directing his header just over the crossbar from within the centre of the box, after rising high to meet cross from a right side corner kick.
The struggles for Pele continued in the fixture as Gideon Payne failed to hit the target from within the centre of the box in the 60th minute, scoffing his effort after a right sided cross from Critchlow evaded the backline and fell into his path, only for the defender to clear the danger for a corner kick.
Cutting a frustrated figure at the top following the lack of quality service, Richardson watched on agonizingly as the Vergenoegen side almost added to their tally 10 minutes later through Garnette, who flashed his effort just over the crossbar after cutting in from the right side of the field.
A constant thorn in the side of his foe due to his speed, Garnette was at it again in the 72nd minute, curling a right footed shot narrowly wide of the top right hand corner, after stealing the ball 22 yards out in the centre of the park.
Unable to fashion chances for majority of the fixture, Pele nearly equalised two minutes later as Richardson upon collecting the ball within the left side of the box, blasted his left footed effort wide of the lower right hand corner.
Keoma Gravesande was next to send alarm bells in the Slingerz camp in the 85th minute as he was allowed to shoot from top of the box by the retreating defensive line, only to see his effort fizz just over the crossbar.
The earlier warnings seemed to go unheeded by the Vergenoegen side as despite being outplayed for majority of the fixture Pele would not be denied, with Richardson grabbing the unlikely equaliser under fortuitous circumstances.
In the other fixture, the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) claimed their first of the tournament, downing home side GDF by a 2-1 score line.
The event will resume today at the GFC ground in Bourda with a doubleheader. In the opening match, Monedderlust FC will lock horns with Buxton United from 18:00hrs. The feature match at 20:00hrs will then pit Fruta Conquerors against Alpha United.
