Bandits beat Verdes in Football action

Good evening, I’m James Adderley and welcome on board for this fresh dish of Sports Monday. After a one week break, the Belize Premier Football League resumed regular season play over the weekend. We take you out west to the week eight shootout at the Norman Broaster Stadium as Acros Real Verdes plays host to Builder’s Hardware Bandits of Belmopan.

The home team, Verdes looks to capitalise early off this spotkick from Gigio Flores, but Charlie Slusher handles the big bounce. Belmopan responds with this perfect centre from Edmond Pandy, but Wilmer Garcia’s attempt at conversion is obviously flawed.

Meanwhile, Wilmer Garcia draws David Hinds out of his goal and finds Gary Wiltshire, but Hind’s recovery is in full effect and at the half we have a scoreless ballgame.

So we go to second half, and here’s Belmopan on its first offensive press of the half–Edmond “The Buzzard” Pandy beats his man centres, Jair Pereira reaches the pill with his head and we’ve got a 1-nil Bandits lead. Jair celebrates by rocking the baby in half his attire. Maybe you’ll tell us what that means.

With newfound momentum, the Builder’s Hardware team looks for more and here is a Trapp mounting this individual effort, but Darren Hinds shines in goal.

Off this corner kick, Verdes tries to get something going, but Charlie Slusher is having none of it. It’s Verdes insisting from the outside with this crucial bullet from Gigio Flores, but Charlie Slusher sails and satters.

At the other end, this floater from Jair Pereira almost catches Hinds out of position, but his recovery is absolute. Now here’s the “Buzzard” Pandy again and again. He lays waste to his man to find this crucial left foot that is only tamed by Darren Hinds’ stellar abilities.

Downfield, Jair Pereira has another opportunity to impress the scoreboard, but he misplays and then his recovery could only produce this weak shot at Darren Hinds, and when the long whistle blows, Builder’s Hardware Bandits of Belmopan pick up the 1-zip road win.

In other matches around the league this weekend, Sagitun scorched Belize City’s Kulture Yabra, the defending champion, in a 1-zip blast; Corozal Victory clobbered Griga United 3 to 1, while San Pedro Turquoise and Juventus of Orange Walk battled to a 2-all stalemate.

Now here’s a quick look at the standings with six weeks to go in this Regent Insurance Cup Tournament. Kulture Yabra remains at the top with eighteen points, Sagitun has pulled into second with fifteen, Juventus shows thirteen, San Pedro stands at ten, both Corozal Victory and Builder’s Hardware Bandits have amassed nine points apiece. Verdes remains stalled at seven, and Griga still commands the cellar with five points. Only the top four teams will move on to the playoffs. With six weeks to go, there’s a mad rush going on, and you’ll catch it right here on Channel 5. That’s our show for today, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.