Yabra tops Bandits in B.P.F.L. play
Good evening, I?m James Adderley and we?re back in the saddle here on Sports Monday after a few weeks absence and we want to thank Patrick Jones for filling in for us.
The first thing we want to do is play catch up on the Regent Insurance Cup Tournament which concluded its three-game schedule under heavy pressure from inclement weather over the weekend.
Let?s start with Saturday night?s showdown in week eleven at Capital City Belmopan where the Builder?s Hardware Bandits hosted the defending champion, Kulture Yabra of Belize City.
Folks, I know I?m just back, but I?m prone to conclude that this is either American football or a foul?and apparently I am wrong on both counts.
Anyway, it?s the home team with the first real opportunity at goal when Andy Hunt unleashes this left foot, but goalkeeper Elias Pelayo comes up with a pretty good save.
We must say Andy Hunt knows his football, but goals dictate team work and Wayne Wiltshire certainly has no legitimate excuse not to have given his team a quick 1-zip lead.
The downpour might have cooled down the temperature, but Wayne Wiltshire remained heated up to make amends?and he would have, had not goalkeeper Pelayo come up with a most impressive intervention.
Make it another non-productive push by the Bandits when Andy Hunt breaks through the Yabra defence only to give the goalkeeper a gift.
Folks, you might get away with scuffing on offence, but on defence it becomes deadly as the Bandits learn when Deon Frazier moves through a maze of confusion to put Yabra up 1-zip just before intermission.
Meanwhile, immediately into second half Norman Nunez pulls out this wonderful slice that finds number eleven Elvir Espejo who finds the back of the net, and just like that the Belize City team is up 2-zip.
Those that squander their scoring opportunities are bound to lose, it?s the law of football; and the Bandits need to focus on that. It?s getting late, so the Bandits go to Marlin Teck who unfortunately can?t find the target.
This time down for the Bandits as Edmund Pandy who fails to cut into the deficit as desperation begins to set in.
In the meantime, George, slow it down so the fans can see the great defensive work Pelayo does on this set piece.
And sow hen the long whistle blows, Kulture Yabra drives away with the 2-zip big W.
In other action around the league, Sagitun doubled Juventus 2-1, while Griga United blanked the Calcutta Bulls 3-zip.
As a result, this is what the standings look like after week eleven: Griga United leads with eighteen points, Juventus show seventeen, Sagitun has amassed sixteen points, San Pedro Seahawk rounds out the top four with fifteen points. Yabra has fourteen, Builder?s Hardware Bandits twelve, and Calcutta Bulls show one point.
In softball news, we give our belated congratulations to the National Softball Team that struck for gold inside Guatemala. Hey girls, when you?re big you?re large. Nevertheless, we also want to tell you that the Belize Telecommunications Ltd. is pledging support for the development of the National Softball Team in Belize, and we like it.
Suzette Tillett, Public Relations Mgr., B.T.L.
?We had a reception for them where we gave them a nice certificate highlighting what they have done for the country, they got a personal letter from Mr. Prosser addressed to each team member where he offered his personal congratulations to them. The team was offered a contribution from the company where they can continue to expand the team and get necessary equipment for the team. And what we also did for them was we inaugurated a limited edition five dollar prepaid card, so that is something that?s coming online for them. And, we also launched an ad, which will be airing on all the major TV stations for the girls as well. Also at the reception, the Sports Council had committed five thousand dollars towards the development of softball in Belize. And this was awarded as well to the Softball Federation on that same night by Mayor Fonseca.?
In closing folks, we certainly want to say congratulations to the semi-pro footballers who made up their minds to play international football. It?s good to be a big fish in a small pond that is bordered by the boundaries of this country. But those who are seriously into football, need to present their stuff on the international scene. It?s the only way up and we?re certainly glad that their input has forced the Belize Premier Football League and the Football Federation of Belize to come to some kind of resolution over this stalemate that has been killing Belizean soccer for some time. While it might not be the final move, it?s the best move in Belizean football we have seen in a long time. And my personal feeling is that football at the international level is a truly nationalistic venture and we must all rally together to put our best foot forward.
That’s it for now. We invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
