Yabra and Acros draw at M.C.C.

James Adderley

Good evening I’m James Adderley and welcome to this portion of Sports Monday. Coming off its first season win, Acros Bombers hosted the defending champion Kulture Yabra at the M.C.C. Grounds on the schedule for week seven in the Regent Insurance Cup Tournament. Would the Brown Bombers become giant killers and make it two wins in a row?

We open to find Yabra on the attack as Erwin Flores gets fed by Norman Nunez, but the Acros keeper makes a wonderful stop. However, on the very next offensive push by Yabra Erwin “Bird” Flores makes no mistake as Kulture Yabra takes an early 1-zip lead some ten minutes into the ballgame. Landi Pinelo then fires this shot at goal in a bid to double the lead, but again the keeper comes up with tough defence.

Now folks, can you believe this sequence, first it’s a breakaway for a one on one situation. The heel of he beaten Shane Moody in Yabra goal pushes the ball into the far upright; the Bombers get off another shot and again it hits the same upright. But the third attempt at goal is simply a misfire.

Off the corner kick, Erwin Flores tries to give his team a two-goal cushion with this header, but the ball sails wide and at the half the Yabra, lead remains 1-zip.

Out of intermission, the Bombers come out with renewed energy and should have capitalised on this scoring opportunity, but fail to execute. Chalk up another squandered chance for Acros Bombers when they look this gift horse in the mouth.

At the other end, Edon Rawley gets his turn to impress the score board, but a push too far becomes a gift to the Across keeper. Meanwhile folks, Vallan Simms’ inability to clear this ball, gives possession to Tyrone Muschamp who out manoeuvres the Yabra defensive-line to burn the cords and force the 1-1 tie.

It’s anybody’s game when this centre finds Tyrone Muschamp, but he does not keep the ball down, allowing Kulture Yabra to get away. Again, it’s Bombers on the attack with this violent shot outside the eighteen, but it goes wide. If you would like an outside shot, this offering from Yabra’s number eight is a monster, but it does not move the scoreboard.

Folks, some days are worse this others because even with the Acros keeper on the ground, Yabra simply can’t shake the net. For sure, this spotkick from the Bombers could have beaten Moody, but it does not. However, Moody’s verbal abuse of his very own teammates lead to his ejection and Yabra is down to ten men.

So who goes between the sticks for Yabra? Vallan Simms, but wait, a minute, it’s Norman Nunez taking over the goal-keeping duties. His first action in goal finds him jumping to corral the pill successfully. Still, Yabra looks to steal the win, but David “Manu” McCauley fails to convert with this mean grasshead burner.

It’s getting late, when this corner kick provides Yabra with ample opportunity to seek out the win, but the keeper makes a spectacular save off the left foot shot from McCauley.

Downfield, “Tilliman” gets tested as Across bids for the victory, but this time the save is legit and when the long whistle blows, it closes a 1-1 show and the Acros Brown Bombers are certainly happy about the outcome.

In other matches around the league, Builders Hardware Bandits handed Griga United its last defeat with a 3-1 blast. Acros Verdes forced Juventus Stars onto the loss column in a 1-nil affair at the Norman Broaster Stadium. San Pedro and Lazio F.C. battled to a 1-all draw, while the Corozal F.C. picked up its first season win with a 2-1 W over Jacintoville at Toledo, and yes Corozaleños, lets break out the champagne.

In basketball news, the National Secondary School basketball competition will be staged at Dangriga this weekend, the fourteen and fifteenth December, under tournament director Tremett Perriott of Anglican Cathedral College.