A bottom-of-the-table clash will conclude the fifth round in the GFF Stag Beer Elite League as Monedderlust FC opposes Georgetown Football Club (GFC) while Buxton United will lock horns with Slingerz FC today at the No. #5 ground in Berbice.
The feature contest at 21:00hrs will pit the sixth positioned Bourda-based unit against cellar occupants and home side Monedderlust FC.
Staring down the barrel of three consecutive losses, the Berbice unit will attempt to get back to winning ways when play commences.
The Berbicians have scored four goals to date and will hope that the likes of Kevin Cottoy, Atlyn Browne, Kevin Sullivan and Kelvin Joseph can fire them to their second win of the campaign.
Defensively, they have conceded seven goals thus far and will need to quickly improve in that department and will look to the combination of captain Travis Henry and Kevin Layne Jr. to emerge successful.
Head-Coach of Monedderlust Gordon Braithwaite said: “It will be tough game because GFC could have beaten Pele in the second half of their matchup. They held Slingerz FC to a draw and they did not do badly against Alpha.
“It’s a tough game, and we are at the bottom so we will have tough games to come so let’s hope the home crowd give the players a boost because we have not been playing well in Georgetown. It is a lack of experience in the team but I hope they come out and perform well.”
The visitors will be a high spirits following their upset win over the Guyana Defence Force and will hope to continue their upward curve in the standings.
From an attacking perspective, the Bourda unit has netted three times in the campaign. Kurt Johnson has been their most threatening player and must be afforded assistance from the likes of Michael Henry, Romario Welcome and Lennox Cort.
ON the defensive end, GFC must improve as five goals have breached their rearguard to date and a compact showing will be needed to secure the positive result. In the opening affair, fourth positioned Slingerz FC will lock horns with seventh placed Buxton United from 19:00hrs.
Allowing a late goal against Pele to surrender a win, Slingerz FC will look to make amends when they oppose Buxton in what promises to be a clash of styles.
Defence has been the strength of the Vergenoegen giant, who, led by the combination of Colin Nelson, Jolanshoy McDowall, Joshua Browne and Winslow McDowall has only conceded once in the event.
In attack, they have scored four goals through their star-studded line-up featuring the likes of Domini Garnette, Dwain Jacobs, Tichard Joseph, Vurlon Mills and Dexroy Adams.
Slingerz FC head-coach Joseph Wilson said: “We discussed the games in terms of how we played and we made the corrections. I am hoping that we correct the finishing, it has become a major problem.
“I expect most of the teams to play us in one particular way, I expect them to defend as deep as possible and try not give us space but we are working on countering the defensive strategies from our opponents,” he added.
Buxton United will attempt to make it two wins in as many matches after securing their first victory in their last encounter.
Clive Andries, Denver Dennis and Esan Hamer remain the East Coast of Demerara unit’s most dangerous players and must lead a young attacking lineup that has only found the back of the net twice to date.
With regards to the rearguard numbers, the East Coast of Demerara unit has conceded five goals to date and will require a clean sheet if they are to emerge with the vital three points against their formidable foe.
Herbert McPherson, head-coach of Buxton United said “For me they are one of the best teams playing football because they are playing the ball on the ground. However I find that if you are stubborn and frustrate them, they tend to throw away a lot of chances.
“We are going to try and frustrate them and look to deny them early goals and try to get into their psyche. We are going with a passion to frustrate and deny them in the first half and then take it from there.”
Winner of the round will pocket $4,000,000 while the second, third and fourth place teams will collect $2,000,000, $1,000,000 and $500,000 respectively. Similarly, the point’s leader prior to the knockout stage in the League Genesis round will pocket an additional $1,000,000.
