Kaieteur News
Sunday December 03, 2017
PAGE 81
Elite League Season III
Fruta Conquerors defeat Ann’s Grove United, Western Tigers beat Milerock Western Tigers double goal scorer Andrew Murray.
Fruta scorers (from left) Jermaine Junior, Anthony Abrams and Eon Alleyne Play in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League (Season 3) continued on Friday last at the Mackenzie Sports Club, in Linden. The doubleheader featured Fruta Conquerors FC vs Ann’s Grove United FC in the first game and Milerock FC vs Western Tigers FC in the second. Fruta Conquerors and Western Tigers emerged the winners in the latest action at the MSC. In the opening contest Fruta Conquerors blanked Ann’s Grove 3 – 0, compliments of goals off the boots of Jermaine Junor in the 2nd minute, Anthony Abrams 79th and Eon Alleyne in the 90th (+4). The second match-up of the night saw Western Tigers coming from behind to get the better of home side Milerock 2-1. The
skillful and multitalented Andrew Murray fired home a double in the 43rd and 69th minutes, while Kester Randolph in the 5th had opened the scoring for Milerock. Sampson Gilbert, Head Coach of Fruta Conquerors noted after the game that, “I thought tonight was a good performance. However, they are many areas which we weren’t as efficient as we could be; finishing is one of those areas we are working continuously to improve, central midfield is another area we thought we can do better in terms of out tactical awareness and our strategy as a team. However, the team continues to show good character in being able to overcome a very spirited performance from the Ann’s Grove team. I thought the performance of Ann’s Grove tonight harbors well for the
league in terms of competitiveness and the chemistry of the Fruta Conquerors’ team, the various aspects of the game that we are continually working to maintain at a high level also augur well for the league. I thought it was good that the team could have stuck to the game plan and was able to overcome Ann’s Grove FC by three goals. However, we will return to the training field and continue to work assiduously on improving our ability to impose our strategy on the opponent and we’re looking forward to the next game. We will be taking the league game by game. We will be aspiring to do very well in this league.” His opposite number, Lloydwin Semple, of Ann’s Grove felt the need for more work for his charges. “We need to work some more on our performance. We’re going up against a
seasoned team and we cannot afford to make certain mistakes because when you make mistakes like these, they will punish you and that’s what happened tonight but we have to return to the drawing board and try to correct all of our mistakes and take it forward from here on.” Western Tigers had a tough contest and this was acknowledged by Coach Calvin Allen; “It wasn’t a straightforward victory for us tonight. It was a difficult game, one that we had to grind out. Playing from behind is never easy and I must also mention that I’m disappointed at the penalty that was awarded to Milerock. I think it was one of the softest penalties I’ve seen in a while but going forward, I know, definitely we see our strengths and our weaknesses. We created a lot of chances but we didn’t put them away so definitely we need to look at that and we need to do some more work on the defensive areas when it comes to closing down spaces and not giving the opposition much room to work in our penalty area. Outside of that I think it was a fairly good performance so I think we got the basics right, we just have to correct the finer areas.” Milerock’s Keron Munroe stated that his side showed improvement despite the loss. “We’ve improved from the last game. It wasn’t a bad performance tonight, both teams played well. We had some challenges relative to preparations pertaining to the starting lineup but it was fairly ok. We have a tough game ahead of us next week Friday against the army. We’re not scared of them but I know it will be a physical battle; we need points on the table.”
GBA need those pledges now –Ninvalle Now that the Terrence Alli National Open has concluded the Guyana Boxing Association will return to the perennial task of attempting to gather financial support for the national team to head to St Lucia to defend the Caribbean Champions title retained in Barbados last year. The Caribbean Championship is scheduled to be held from December 13 to 16 and Guyana has registered 13 boxers, two referee/judges and three coaches for the epic event. The local team is being led by youth sensation Keevin Allicock and Colin ‘Superman’ Lewis. Both won gold at the last Caribbean Development tournament (now Caribbean Championships) with Allicock going much further by winning a silver medal at the Youth Commonwealth Games in Bahamas earlier this year. There is no doubt in the mind of GBA President that Guyana will retain the Champion Country title in St Lucia.
Keevin Allicock However, the issue at hand is how does the team get to the island. “Well last year we were forced to walk one hundred miles to raise the funds to send an 11-man team to Barbados. We received very little help then. That team won ten gold medals and one silver. My
Steve Ninvalle sincere hope now is that the pledges and promises made when the team returned home are now made a reality,” Ninvalle said yesterday. It was disclosed that approximately three and one half million dollars would be needed
to move the team to St Lucia. “We have dominated the Caribbean and in recent time have shown that we are capable of taking on the best that the Commonwealth has to offer,” Ninvalle added. Lawrence Asannah and Maynard Wilson will sit exams, while in St Lucia and once successful will be handed AIBA One Star badges. “Before last December we had not a single One Star referee. Miss Ramona Agard and Mr. Richard Braithwaite sat exams during the tournament in Barbados and made us proud. Agard was later able to officiate at the Youth South American Games in Chile, becoming the first Guyanese to do so. I cannot underline more the importance of the development of our referees and judges,” the GBA president said. The upcoming Caribbean Championships will see participation of 18 Caribbean territories, an increase of one from last year and three when the inaugural tournament was held in Guyana in 2015.