The semi-final matchups in the inaugural GT Beer Futsal Championship have been cast in stone as West Front Road-Gold is Money will oppose Sparta Boss and Bent Street will tackle Festival City following quarterfinal wins on Sunday.
A near capacity gathering at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall witnessed West Front Road downing derby rivals West Back Road 5-3 in the third fixture. Randolph Wagner opened the scoring for West Front Road, rolling the ball under the onrushing goalkeeper within the box before finishing into the empty net.
West Front Road-Gold is Money was then given a chance to double the lead in the ninth minute as their adversary conceded a penalty kick after collecting their six allotted fouls.
Tasked with taking the spot-kick, Hubert Pedro would fail to convert from the mark as he was denied by the leg of the ‘keeper. Not to be denied Pedro would be given a second chance from the distance as West Back Road conceded another penalty through their seventh foul.
He would make no mistake from the distance this time around, blasting his effort off the left upright and into the net. West Back Road was then given a chance to cut the deficit as they were awarded a spot-kick after West Front Road accumulated their sixth foul.
Given the responsibility of scoring from the mark, Eron Hayde would disappoint as he fired his shot high and wide over the crossbar.
Wagner then put further distance between the two sides in the 18th minute with a penalty conversion into the lower right corner following a handball infraction within the area.
However the matchup quickly turned on its head as West Back Road netted three goals in as many minutes to level the fixture. Teon Caesar began the attempted comeback in the 20th minute compliments of a left sided strike.
Caesar then pulled his side within one in the 21st minute, turning and smashing his effort from the top of the box, into the lower left hand corner. The score was then levelled in the 22nd minute compliments of a powerful Josiah Charles free kick into the top right hand corner, from the right side of the field.
However, West Front Road reclaimed their advantage one minute later, stabbing his effort into the lower left corner after pouncing on a loose ball within the box.
Pedro then sealed the hard-fought win in the 27th minute, initiating a one-two pass combination with Michael Pedro from the left side of the field before finishing into the back of the net from the centre of the field.
Similarly, Sparta Boss overcame Kitty Weavers 6-5 in the third fixture of the night. Following a flurry of saves by the Kitty shot-stopper, Sparta Boss took the lead in the ninth minute, slotting his effort into the lower right hand corner after collecting a left sided pass.
The smooth sailing continued for the East La Penitence unit as Eusi Phillips scored in the 13th minute with a finish into the left corner from the centre of the area.
Sherwin Vincent then pulled one back for Kitty in the 14th minute, stabbing his effort through the legs of the final defender and into the back of the net. However Sparta’s lead would balloon to two goals as Dennis Edwards netted twice in the 15th minute,
It would then become a game of two halves as Kitty began to stage a comeback as Vincent netted, tuning and striking his effort into the centre of the net in the 20th minute.
Vincent then pulled Kitty within one goal in the 21st minute, finishing his effort from the centre of the field in the back of the ne, following slight deflection.
Shocked by their recent concessions, Sparta Boss would reclaim their two goal lead as Forrester netted his second, powering his effort into the lower left corner.
The Kitty unit then netted their fourth of the night to cut Sparta’s lead once more in the 24th minute compliments of left sided finish into the back of the net.
The fixture was then pushed into the extra time interval as Vincent levelled proceedings, directing his header into the centre of the net following a right sided cross into the box.
Nevertheless, Sparta Boss eventually clinched the fixture in the 4th minute as Travis Grant scored with a curling right sided shot into the centre of the net.
In the final quarterfinal fixture, Festival City made light work of Albouystown, winning by a 6-3 score line. Eon Alleyne opened the scoring in the second minute with a right footed shot from his own half which went through the hands of the keeper and into the lower left corner.
It would then become 2-0 four minutes onward as Solomon Austin scored, rifling a strike from the centre of the field into the top left hand corner of the net.
The score line further increased in the seventh minute as custodian Alex Murray converted a penalty kick into the lower right corner after Alleyne was brought down within the centre of the area.
Albouystown eventually got on the score sheet in the eighth minute as Devon Dooker netted, intercepting a poor pass on the left side of the field before lashing his first time effort into the centre of the goal.
The deficit would then be reduced further in the 14th minute as Dooker scored his second compliments of left sided strike into the lower left hand corner.
Festival City duly restored their two-goal lead in the 19th minute as Austin secured his second of the night with a right sided shot which took a slight deflection off the body of a defender and into the net.
Dwayne Lawrence quickly increased their lead to three goals one minute onward, placing his left sided strike down the centre of the net after collecting a pass from the top of the penalty box.
Albouystown eventually pulled within two in the 24th minute as Eucie Cummings netted through a left sided strike which took a marginal deflection off the body of a defender and settled into the net.
Nonetheless, Alleyne completed the easy win in the 30th minute, thumping a right footed shot into the roof of the net from the left side of the field.
On the other hand, Bent Street dismissed Sophia 12-5 in opening quarterfinal. Okeene Fraser recorded a helmet trick in the win in the fifth, ninth, 20th and 30th minutes while hat-tricks from Colin Nelson in the 12th, 24th and 28th minutes and Amos Ramsay scored in the 23rd, 25th and 29th minutes assisted in the win.
Completing the score line with a double in the second and 17th minute was Stellon David. For the loser, Dwayne Lowe netted a helmet trick in the fourth, sixth, 14th and 27th minutes while Omallo Williams netted in the 26th minute
The semi-final round will commence on Wednesday at the same locale. Winner of the event will collect $500,000 and trophy while the second, third and fourth place finishers will collect $250,000, $125,000 and $75,000 and the correspondingly accolade. Other sponsor of the event is the National Milling Company (NAMILCO) of Guyana.
