Alpha United solidified their third position in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Stag Beer Elite League, swamping fierce rival Pele FC by a 5-0 score line at the Camp Ayanganna ground on Sunday.
Solomon Austin, William Europe, Colin Nelson, Delon Lanferman and Daniel Wilson sealed the vital three points with goals in the 34th, 52nd, 65th, 80th and 90th+2 minutes respectively.
With the win, Alpha United move onto 14 points.
For Pele, it was the fourth loss to date and they remain on seven points.
While the viewership was smaller than expected for a contest of this magnitude, the gathering almost witnessed Pele taking the lead in the ninth minute but Omallo Williams fizzed his effort narrowly wide of the lower right corner from the centre of the box, after cutting into the area upon skipping past two challenges.
Anthony Abrams then came close to breaking the deadlock for Alpha United in the 16th minute, striking the left upright with a left-footed shot after racing into the left of the area. Nonetheless, the goal eventually came 18 minutes later as Austin netted.
Fresh off his game winning effort for the Golden Jaguars in the Caribbean Cup Qualifier against Puerto Rico, the defender directed his unchallenged header into the left corner from the centre of the box, after collecting a right side cross. As quickly as Alpha took the lead the score was almost levelled but a Konata Manning curling right foot free-kick from the top of the box was tipped smartly over the crossbar by custodian Alex ‘Scotland Youth’ Murray four minutes later.
Similarly, the ‘Hammers’ nearly doubled their advantage in the 40th minute as Abrams, after racing into the right side of the area, struck a powerful shot which was deflected to safety by the onrushing goalkeeper.
A glorious chance was then presented to Pele to level the fixture in the 44th minute as Quincy Madramootoo was adjudged to have committed a handball infraction within the box. Tasked with the responsibility from the mark, veteran midfielder Manning squandered the opportunity as he placed his effort inexplicably wide of the left corner.
The aforesaid miss proved to be costly in the second stanza as seven minutes into the resumption Europe netted, placing a first time shot into the roof of the goal from inside the left of the box, after collecting a flat right side cross from Lanferman.
It went from bad to worse for Pele in the 58th minute as Jermaine Fordyce was shown a red card upon picking up his second yellow card for a reckless tackle on the goalkeeper. The numerical handicap extinguished any hope of Pele salvaging a result as Nelson was gifted a goal.
Earning a free-kick 28 yards from the target on the left side, the versatile Nelson unleashed a left foot effort which went through the hands of the ‘keeper and into the top right corner.
The ‘goal rush’ continued 10 minutes before the conclusion as Lanferman blasted a thunderous left foot strike into the lower right corner, following a pass from Wilson inside the centre of the box.
Wilson eventually sealed the rout in the dying moments with a simple finish into the right corner, after pouncing on the loose ball from his initial strike.
Meanwhile, league leader Slingerz FC downed Buxton United 2-0 to claim their seventh consecutive win compliments of a double from Julian Wade in the fifth and 55th minutes.
Receiving a red card in the loss was Rondell Assanah in the 65th minute for verbally abusing the referee. Action resumes on Friday at the Leonora Sports Facility with another double-header.
Current Points Standings
Team GP W L D GF GA GD Pts
Slingerz 7 7 0 0 20 2 +18 21
Fruta Conquerors 7 5 1 1 17 8 +9 16
Alpha United 7 4 1 2 17 5 +12 14
GDF 7 3 2 2 11 12 -1 11
Pele 7 2 4 1 4 10 -6 7
Buxton United 7 1 4 2 5 10 -5 5
Monedderlust 7 0 4 3 4 16 -12 3
GFC 7 0 6 1 6 21 -15 1
