Premier League Football and Weekend Warriors Cycling on Sports Monday
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
We take you out to the MCC Grounds for week 12 in the PLB Opening Season and it brought quite a contest between FC Belize and Verdes FC here in the city as both teams took to ensure an appearance in the 4-team playoff. FC Belize looks for the opener off the corner kick that Ryan Simpson bends into the goal but Elroy Rawley in the Verdes goal gets on top of it. Again it’s the home team using the set piece to move the scoreboard and while Hector Martinez launches the ball over the wall, it was never going to beat Rawley. So we go to 2nd half and Russell Casanova looks to place it in the far corner of Rawley’s goal and does not quite accomplish the mission. We’re not quite sure what Ricardo Jimenez was thinking, but this take down of Hector Martinez inside the bar at the 78th minute leads to the penalty call from the referee. Jordi Lopez gets the call and freezes Rawley to give FC Belize the 1-zip lead.
This matchup was always a physical affair. Jarret Davis battles Andrew Estell for a strike at goal. Estell appears to beat Davis to the ball while at the other side, Ricardo Jimenez is blatantly fouled – the referee rules Estell is to be charged with a high foot foul. Sorry guys, maybe something is wrong with our picture or we have lying eyes. At the 88th minute, goleador Jarret Davis steps up and he delivers a wonderful penalty that is world class and we’ve got a 1-1 ballgame. Of course, you know the FC Belize team is somewhat furious with the man in the middle but cooler heads prevailed. Hey folks, the referee certainly loses control of the ballgame in the waning minutes and things could have gotten real ugly that he is now unable to make the necessary decisions. So Mark Leslie decides to test the referee with this flagrant foul on Jarret Davis for which he deservedly gets a yellow card which could have been red. I guess all exhaled when the long whistle brought this matchup to an end with the 1-1 tie.
In other results…break out the champagne for OW FC as they picked up their 1st season win with a 4-1 torching of Wagiya FC. The Belmopan bandits stretched their lead atop the league with a 4-zip rout of the once mighty Placencia Assasins and Police United exploded in a 6-3 downing of Freedom Fighters FC. With 5 matches remaining, Belmopan Bandits leads with 29 pts from an undefeated 9 wins and 2 draws. FC Belize is next with 21 pts from 6 wins, 3 stalemates and a loss. Verdes FC shows 20 with 5 matches remaining; Placencia Assassins remains in the hunt with 17; the Belize Defense Force also haws 17 pts and Police United has 14 pts with 6 matches to go. Wagiya FC shows 10 pts and would have to win its remaining 5 ballgames to sneak in. Freedom Fighters with 4 pts and OW United with 3 have been mathematically eliminated.
We also have the Saturday U-17 championship match that saw Hattieville Riverside Boys battling Young Warriors for the title. Early in the ballgame, this crucial left foot from Richard Hines gives Hattieville the 1-zip lead. Give some props to Jaden McGregor who beats the keeper with this magnificent goal to give Hattieville a 2-zip lead. In 2nd half play, Hines gets this chance to double his tally but the shot is direct to keeper Shawn Billary. Kenroy Linarez could get Young Warriors on the board, but is denied by Goalkeeper Jason Cho. The man to get Young Warriors on the board is Kyle Samuels whose left foot tangles in the back of the net. Nevertheless, it’s the Hattieville Riverside Boys with the 2-1 big win and the U-17 Championship and we say congratulations. The best defense was awarded to Michael Robinson of Hattieville. Best midfield went to Dion Cacho of Young Warriors and Jaden McGregor of Hattieville emerged with MVP honors. Good show guys.
In cycling news, former Cross Country Champion Collet Maheia celebrated his birthday with the presentation of race yesterday. And here is the man himself suited up for action in the Weekend Warriors classification. And as we pan the starting line, you will see a few familiar faces and you had better believe it…the Weekend Warriors are dead serious. And so they’re off. This race leaves from Maheia’s United for the 44-mile ride to mile 21 on the Phillip Goldson Highway and will finish where it started at Maheia’s United. At the turn around point, it’s George Abraham leading the peloton which remains a cohesive bunch. On the way back at the Hattieville roundabout, some 10 riders have broken out of the pack with an 18-second lead over the chase. The amalgamation splinters around mile 10 when Kent Gabourel, Warren Coye, Kenroy Gladden, Ras Gentle and Isaiah Willacy make their move. Folks that solitary figure in front of this trio mounting a chase is Kenroy Gladden going to the tape. Gladden is joined by his teammate Kent Gabourel and the show of unity of the Kulture Tour Megabytes is memorable. Both were timed at 1 hour 52 minutes. Isaiah Willacy of Santino’s moves out of the pack to grab 3rd place. Ras Gentle of FT Williams is 4th and Warren Coye of Santino’s rounds out the top 5. We’ll extend the winners circle to 6 to accommodate the birthday boy, Collet Maheia. In the junior class, Joshua Fuller took top honors. Carlton Robinson is 2nd and Darnell Augustine is 3rd. The C Class Weekend Warriors was taken by Steve Gill of Smart; Edward of El Pecador took 2nd and his teammate Lisa Berger round out the top 3.
Finally folks, the UWI Open Campus Belize presents Barbara Cleland Day of Races on November 6th beginning at 1 p.m. on the Chetumal Boulevard circuit. There will be categories from primary school to the elites of the sport. It will be big – check it out.
Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
