Elite League and West Ruimveldt heavyweight Western Tigers battled past Rivers View 4-2 to seal their quarterfinal berth Saturday in the Guyana Football Federation [GFF] Super 16 championships at the Bartica Community Centre ground.
Despite the poor lighting conditions and sandy playing area underfoot, the visitors prevailed, led by a double from Randolph Wagner in the 27th and 83rd minute alongside conversions from Clive Nobrega and Curtez Kellman in the 34th and 55th minute each.
On target in the loss were Andrew Simmons and Ryan Andries in the 58th and 68th minute respectively. Winning Coach Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard, during a post-match comment said, “We had a good first half, but fitness seemed to be the issue in the second half. The guys have not played much football but we have the quality. I am not complaining but the field did play a factor in the match.”
His counterpart Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover said, “It was a spirited effort and I want to commend the guys. Western had to fight for their win. We conceded critical goals in the first half and when we were chasing for the equalizer when we had the momentum.”
Notwithstanding the large partisan support afforded to the home team, it was the visiting unit that threatened early, with Lowe fizzing a right foot effort wide of the left corner from outside the right of the penalty box in the 11th minute.
At the other end, Aloysius Edwards recorded the first attempt for the hosts, directing his header over the crossbar from inside the right of the penalty area, after receiving a corner kick in the 19th minute.
The woodwork would come to rescue of the hosts in the 25th minute when Dwayne Lowe uncorked a curling right-foot shot after cutting in from the left side, which crashed into the crossbar.
The deserved goal for the Tigers eventually came through Wagner who, latching onto a lobbed left side pass from Lowe, stabbed his effort past the onrushing goalkeeper into the lower-left corner.
The floodgates were opened as the Tigers doubled their lead through Nobrega, who rifled a shot into the lower-left corner from inside the right of the box, after receiving a cheeky layoff pass from Murray with his back to the woodwork. The second conversion silenced the large gathering.
It should have then been 3-0 in the 41st minute but Lowe blasted over the woodwork unchallenged inside the center of the box, after an initial strike was deflected into his path.
Similarly, Rivers View spurned a great chance to reduce the deficit on the stroke of halftime. Shaquille Hopkinson was the guilty party, his effort being denied by the leg of the advancing goalkeeper, after an initial free-kick from outside the center of the box was deflected by the wall into his path inside the left of the box.
The Georgetown unit immediately resumed their dominance when Kellman’s well-placed header nestled into the right-hand corner after he received a right-sided cross. However, it quickly became a game of two halves. From 3-0 and in firm control, the visitors found themselves hanging onto a 3-2 lead in the space of 10 minutes.
Rivers View pulled one back compliments of Andrew Simmons, who blasted a flat strike into the lower right corner. The second conversion for the home side was fashioned by the experienced Ryan Andries.
It was a brilliant lobbed strike from 30 yards in the center of the field, which sailed over the diving hands of the goalkeeper and settled down the center of the net. The conversions brought crowd at the venue to its feet.
In their pursuit of the equalizer, the home side was left exposed and Murray should have capitalized on the extra space afforded, only to direct his effort onto the left upright, after being in a one-on-one situation inside the left of the box.
Wagner would not make such an error, putting the game to bed with a first time right foot shot into the lower right corner, after receiving a squared pass from Murray while racing into the center of the penalty area. Meanwhile, in Essequibo, the Guyana Defence Force [GDF] outflanked Mainstay Stars 5-0 at the Anna Regina ground.
Benjamin Opara recorded a hat-trick in the 52nd, 65th and 83rd minute. Adding goals in the 31st and 38th minute respectively were Olvis Mitchell and Colin Nelson.
The team emerging the winner on January 1st, 2020 will be rewarded with two million dollars and the championship trophy, with the losing finalist pocketing one million. The third and fourth place finishers will receive $500, 000 and $250,000 respectively and the corresponding accolade.
Sponsors of the event include Pegasus Hotel, MACORP, BACIF, THAG, MVP Sports, E.C. Vieira Investments, HJ Entertainment, Impressions and NAMILCO.
Complete Results
Game-1
GDF-5 vs Mainstay Stars-0
Benjamin Opara-52nd, 65th and 83rd
Olvis Mitchell-31st
Colin Nelson-38th
Game-2
Western Tigers-4 vs Rivers
View-2
Western Scorers
Randolph Wagner-27th and 83rd
Clive Nobrega-34th
Curtez Kellman-55th
Rivers View Scorers
Andrew Simmons-58th
Ryan Andries-68th
