It was happy hunting for the visiting West Demerara giant Pouderoyen FC as they defeated local heavyweight Rivers View 1-0 when their pre-season tour of Bartica commenced on Friday evening at the Community Centre ground.
However, Pouderoyen FC ‘s head coach Travis Bess, during a post-match comment, stated that while he was impressed with the character displayed by the team in an unfamiliar environment, improvements in the attacking third must occur.
He explained, “It was a very competitive game, Pouderoyen players would have stepped up in a major way in playing the best team in the association. They would have shown a lot of composure, discipline and the will to fight. As the coach of the club for the last nine years, I
will always accept an ugly victory than a pretty loss, and tonight the guys really grinded it out and I am very happy with the victory despite it being a 1-0 win. There is always room for improvement. We created a number of chances but need to improve the end product which is finishing.”
Pouderoyen’s starting XI comprised Sherwin Wills, Keyon Kirton, Obadiah Yearwood, Kayode King, Kevin Humphrey, Chidune Matthews, Telelen Adolph, Emeribe Vincent, Dwayne St. Kitts, EJ Mars and Daniel Abrams.
Entering hostile territory, the friendly contest quickly took the complexion of an elimination fixture, with both teams employing very physical approaches.
Rivers View was in a confident mood and entered the contest on the back of winning the Bartica Football Association (BFA) All-Star Championship Tuesday courtesy of a 5-3 win over Beacons.
The visitors should have taken the lead in the ninth minute, but a lack of concentration by St. Kitts resulted in the opportunity being missed.
Racing into the centre of the penalty area, an unchallenged St. Kitts would inexplicably miss a squared right-sided pass from Matthews with the goalkeeper outside the six-yard box.
On the other side, the outstretched leg of King in the 21st minute denied the waiting striker from inside the centre of the box.
St. Kitts would spurn another great chance in the 38th minute, volleying a first-time right-footed effort from inside the centre of the box, straight at the goalkeeper at point-blank range, following a right-side cross.
Upon resumption, Kirton would prevent the home side from breaking the deadlock with a brilliant last-ditch clearance. The episode emanated from an initial strike from the left side of the box, which was spilt by the goalkeeper in the air, forcing the left-back to head away the danger with a timely nod. Substitute forward Devin Gaskin then fired over the crossbar in the 55th minute unchallenged, following a chested pass from Matthews, as Pouderoyen continued to struggle to convert in the final third.
For Rivers View, Kelon Richardson should have given his side the lead in the 63rd minute, dribbling two markers while cutting into the box from the right side of the field, only to fire a left-footed tame effort directly at the relieved custodian.
The conversion would be realized in the form of Matthews in the 70th minute for the West Demerara unit. A combination of brilliance and fortuity can be used to describe the goal as the initial strike from Glenroy Semple fell favourably into the path of Matthews inside the centre of the box, who uncorked a thunderous left-footed volley into the roof of the net.
Rivers View almost snatched the equalizer in the final seconds of the contest, only to be denied by the woodwork. Helmsley Martindale was the protagonist in this episode, as his cross from the right side of the field, crashed onto the crossbar.
Meanwhile, in the earlier exhibition contest, Potaro Strikers defeated Rising Stars 2-0. Daniel Gardener and Keron Spencer netted in the 63rd and 75th minute respectively.
