Mahaicony United records first win

Mahaicony United recorded their first win in the Berbice Football Association (BFA) ‘West Berbice League’, downing Hopetown United by a 2-0 score line yesterday.

Veteran forward Keyon Hailey alongside the nippy Delbert Peters found the back of the net in the 31st and 43rd minutes respectively to seal the contest at the Mahaicony Sports Ground.

Due to the victory, the home side moved onto three points from two matches while the visitors remain pointless following two defeats in as many matches.

Despite taking the field with only nine players, the visitors began the contest admirably as they easily thwarted the home side’s advances by remaining compact in the defensive third. However, Hopetown’s resilience was eventually broken four minutes before the end of the first period as Hailey found the back of the net in a clinical manner. Racing into the centre of the penalty area, Hailey, upon latching onto the left side cross from Peters, directed his unchallenged right foot shot into the right hand corner to bring the small crowd to its feet.

Following the commencement of the second stanza, the home side increased their advantage under fortuitous circumstances as Peters etched his name on the scorer’s sheet.

Cutting into the left side of the box, Peters unleashed a tame left foot strike which went comically under the foot of the goalkeeper and into the net, after the latter missed the ball completely in his attempt to clear the danger. The visitors thought they had pulled one back in the 49th minute as Wesley Greenidge scored an ‘Olympic Goal’, curling a left side corner kick past everyone into the top right hand corner, only for the official to signal an infringement on the goalkeeper.

Action in the event is slated to continue  this Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, Mahaicony FC will tackle Rosignol United from 16:00hrs at the Mahaicony Sports Ground. Sunday’s matchup will pit Hopetown United FC against Paradise Invaders from 16:00hrs at the Rosignol Ground.

According to an official press release from the BFA “In an effort to keep senior football alive in Berbice and with no sponsor, the BFA with its members agreed to organize a league in a self-funding manner, where the teams covered the cost.

“And in order to reduce costs there would be three leagues. The West Berbice League, the New Amsterdam League & the Corentyne League. The winners of each league would meet in a round robin playoff to determine the overall Berbice Champion”.