Under the fireworks illuminated sky, Grove Hi-Tech inspired by a Most Valuable Player-like showing from Domini Garnett were crowned the inaugural Stag Beer Super 16 champs, hammering Ann’s Grove 5-0 in the final on Thursday.
Amid the constant explosions of firecrackers at the No.#5 ground, the event’s sold-out viewership witnessed the mercurial forward in full flight as he netted a five goal haul in the 13th, 66th, 71st, 76th and 79th minutes.
Due to the win, the East Bank of Demerara unit earned the winners package of $1,500,000 and the championship trophy while the East Coast of Demerara side clinched $500,000 and the respective accolade.
With a Garnett penalty kick conversion separating the sides, the competitive affair would quickly become a game of two of halves as the Grove forward commenced the eventual rout 20 minutes into the second stanza.
Lurking within the centre of the box, Garnett would pounce on a poor decision by the opposing keeper who in opting to punch a left sided cross instead of catching missed the entire ball completely, allowing the nippy forward to flick his headed attempt into the right hand corner.
His clinical nature would further be on display five minutes onward as he sealed his hat-trick, slotting his first time effort past the onrushing keeper down the middle of the goal, after racing onto a right sided cross within the centre of the box.
Not content with only netting three goals, Garnett’s helmet trick would be just around the corner as he thumped his right footed strike into the top left hand side from within the centre of the area, following a one-on-one situation with the custodian.
He would then seal the matchup 11 minutes before the end of the fixture, finishing his strike into the empty net after his initial penalty kick effort was parried by the Ann’s Grove custodian fortuitously into his path.
Meanwhile, New Amsterdam United clinched the tourney’s third position, dismantling fellow Berbice unit Cougars FC by a 5-1 margin.
Midfielder Leonardo Adams opened the scoring in the third minute for the victors, slotting his effort into the back of the net after collecting a flat right sided cross within the centre of the penalty box.
Rondel Hazel would then make it 2-0 two minutes later compliments of an attempt into the right corner after collecting a cross from the left side of the field inside the area.
The score line would continue to balloon as forward Adrian Adams scored in the 10th minute through a penalty kick conversion into the left side of the goal, following an handball infringement.
Cougars would eventually pull one back in the 48th minute as Alvin Reynolds netted, lashing his effort from within the area among a sea of bodies into the right side of the goal.
However ,that would prove be Cougars only success of the night as Adrian Adams grabbed his second in the 87th minute with a simple finish from the left side of the box into the centre of the net.
The result would then be confirmed as Hazel sealed his double in the 90th+2 minute, unleashing a left footed effort from the within the left side of the area, which sailed under the body of the diving custodian and into the lower right corner.
With the win, New Amsterdam United earned the third place package of $300,000 and trophy while Cougars walked away with $200,000 and the corresponding accolade.
