Yabra, Bandits victorious in Regent Cup playoffs
Good evening I’m James Adderley pushing another fresh dish of Sports Monday. Week two of the Regent Insurance playoffs has come and gone leaving the gap between the haves and the have-nots much wider.
Let’s head to the Isidoro Beaton Stadium Saturday night where league leading Bandits with three points, take on the number one seed Juventus of O.W., who come with an of one showing and get off quickly as Itamar Castellanos centres into the danger zone only to produce a disconnect with his striker.
Of course even with the soggy condition of field, Oliver Hendricks should have converted on this one on one situation. Instead, he allows Darren Hinds to shine and then teammate Edmund Pandy also makes a bungle out of his scoring opportunity.
The visitors try to get something going off this corner kick, but the Bandits defence holds firms. Again, it’s Juventus on the prowl, but the launch is right at the goalkeeper, Charlie Slusher.
They say in football, sometimes you need luck to win, but I’ll venture the O.W. team does play its lucky card right here. But danger is not over yet as we go to the corner kick from Peter Mariano, who finds Wallace Allen–the header creates problems for Darren Hinds, a mad scramble for the ball ensues, but it’s Mark Leslie who comes up with control and he bangs it home for the 1-zip Builder’s lead twenty-six minutes in.
The 1-zip score holds to intermission, so we go to second half and this picture demonstrates the way things are going for the O.W. offence tonight.
Now keep your eyes on William Thomas who centres into the danger zone. A diving Oliver Wiltshire beats Darren Hinds as the Bandits go on to post the 2-zip regulation big W and are ahead of the class with six points, while Juventus remains still without a point after two appearances in the post season.
Now let’s check in on the other playoffs match up at the M.C.C. Grounds where Kulture Yabra plays host to the defending champion Sagitun of Independence yesterday.
It’s Rudolph Flowers with the first big move of the ballgame–and we’ll just say aye Rudy man.
At the other end this nice chip from Deon Frazier finds Norman “Tilliman” Nunez and his left foot finds the target to give the city team a 1-zip lead thirty-minutes into the action.
Talk about a big time save–well Gilmore Palacio knows this would have been the equalizer if not for the magnificent intervention of the one called Shane Moody. And we are going to holler at Daniel Thomas after this display–c’mon my boy.
Meanwhile, Geovanny Rodriguez will have to take responsibility for this goal after he fumbles Norman Nunez’s spotkick giving Harvey Alvarez the easiest of goal to make it 2-zip Yabra lead at the half.
Immediately after the pause, Rodriguez makes amends by dismissing this push from Norman Nunez who thought he had his second of the match.
Meanwhile, Sagitun thought they had a goal here, but Francis Arzu obviously put a body on Shane Moody to disqualify it.
We’re not sure what Raul Celiz is thinking right here, but he certainly allows Rodriguez to look good again. In the meantime, Robert Cunningham embarrasses the entire left side of the Yabra defence and deals to Francis Arzu. Sagitun halves the lead at the sixtieth minute.
Talk about short-lived people, the lead stretches a minute later when Daniel Thomas finds an unguarded Deon Frazier who makes it 3-1 in favour of Yabra.
On this pass from Esteban Perez that reaches “Tilliman” Nunez, all we can ask is, Norman is that you?
At the other end Gilmore Palacio might need his left foot re-wired after squandering this golden opportunity. Still folks, this misjudgement by Shane Moody gives Francis Arzu another shot at goal and he makes the most of it to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
However, right off the kick off again Yabra scores again when Deon Frazier finds the net with this push to make it a 4-2 final score.
Thus after two weeks of playoffs Belmopan shows six points, Yabra five, while Sagitun and Juventus have yet to pick up a point. But I guess it’s early yet.
Turning to the F.F.B.’s A league action over the weekend saw Valley Pride edge Toledo Ambassadors 3-2, Boca Juniors hurt Capital United 3-zip, JAT and Union Independiente struggled to a 1-all stalemate, and Boca edged out New Site Erei 1-zip.
Finally folks, Belize’s participation in the Central American Junior Champion staged at Guatemalan is nothing short of embarrassing. The National Under Twenty-three basketball team finished fourth of four after wining one games and losing three, while the National Under Twenty-three volleyball team went winless in five outings. Like we always say, what you put in is what you get out.
That’s it for now, we invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all! I’m James Adderley.
