A stunning Chris Galloway free-kick in the dying seconds of the match propelled Beacons to a 2-2 draw with league leader Santos when the George-town Football Association (GFA) Stag Beer League continued on Tuesday.
With the score 2-1 at the Georgetown Football Club ground, Galloway broke Santos hearts as delivered an absolute gem of a strike, curling a right foot free-kick 21 yards out in the centre of the field, which scraped the underside of the crossbar and rushed into the net.
It was the second set piece to date converted by the burly midfielder which, on this occasion, earned his side their first point of the championship.
For the league leaders, it was an opportunity missed to solidify their position after their prior win over Western Tigers as they climbed to 13 points.
Prior to the dramatic end Dwayne McLennon should have opened the scoring for Santos in the fifth minute, racing onto a through pass down the centre of the field, only to direct his unchallenged effort into the path of the advancing goalkeeper.
McLennon, however, made amends five minutes onward as he skipped past the onrushing goalkeeper and finished into the empty net.
The score then ballooned to 2-0 under fortuitous circumstances in the 18th minute as McLennon, upon pouncing on a poor back pass, rounded the goalkeeper and finished into the net.
The comeback commenced in the 22nd minute as Fabian Grainford scored, cutting back on his favoured right leg inside the left of the box, before finishing into the lower left corner, after racing onto a lobbed through pass from Esan Griffith.
Grainford was denied from levelling the score in the 38th minute as his left side header following right side Desmond Cottam cross, was parried over the crossbar by the custodian.
Santos was then denied from restoring their two goal advantage in the 52nd minute as a Jobe Caesar strike from inside the centre of the box, cannoned off the crossbar.
Similarly, Grainford was kept at bay in the 71st minute as his first time effort from the right of the box was parried by the desperate dive of the ‘keeper, after a flat left side cross from Cottam evaded the backline and fell into his path.
Cottam continued to be a thorn in the side of Santos, forcing a smart save from the goalkeeper in the 90th+2 minute from inside the left of the box, after stealing the ball from the defender.
The aforesaid attempt ignited a goalmouth scramble which resulted in a poor clearance and a subsequent free-kick opportunity for Galloway to make his presence felt.
Meanwhile, Riddim Squad squeaked past Flamingo by a 3-1 score line. Sheldon Hope opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a simple finish from the centre of the box unchallenged into the left corner, after latching onto an initial right sided strike.
Dwayne O’Reilly doubled the Mocha based unit’s lead four minutes later as a tame effort from the right side of the field was terribly misjudged by the goalkeeper and allowed to sail into the left corner.
Flamingo almost pulled one back in the 21st in the form of veteran utility man Shem Porter, whose curling left foot free-kick from the top of the box crashed onto the crossbar.
The evergreen Leon Yaw eventually reduced Riddim Squad’s advantage in the 34th minute, cutting into the left side of the box before lashing his effort into the back of the net.
With the second half producing fewer chances than the first, Riddim Squad secured the result in the 90th+4 minute as Aqwill Liefde scored, pouncing on a botched clearance inside the centre of the box before blasting his effort past keeper unchallenged into the left side.
It went from bad to worse for Flamingo as Rolex Smith was issued a red card in the 90th+5 minute for a dangerous tackle. The championship is set to continue today at the same venue with another doubleheader.
In the opening fixture at 18:30hrs, Northern Rangers will oppose the Guyana Police Force while Western Tigers will tackle Camptown in the feature affair at 20:30hrs.
