Football and cycling in weekend sports report
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and we’re coming at you with yet another splash of Sports Monday.
Yesterday brought money time to the M.C.C. Grounds as the Belize Premier Football League staged its final game in the home and away championship series between F.C. Belize and the Belize Defence Force for the 2009 title. The tension inside the park is simply unmistakable as F.C. Belize comes into this match with a 2-1 lead over the Military from game one. Indeed it’s a dream start for the Military when twelve minutes in this spot kick from midfield is kept alive to Orlando Jimenez who pounces on the ball to tie the series at two goals apiece and we’re starting all over again for the title people. It’s the B.D.F. with the momentum now and this corner kick provides Gilbert Swaso with this chance at goal, only to see the ball skid off the wrong side of the sticks. Folks, we’re at the twenty-fourth minute when Orlando Jimenez scores his second goal of the match off this corner kick. We apologize for missing the contact but we do have the ball breaking the goal line. The B.D.F. leads the series 3-2. This forces F.C. to finally come alive so Nigel Franklin tries for the equalizer with this potent right foot that veers outside the target. Nevertheless folks, down a goal, F.C. Belize begins to self destruct. Deon McCauley penetrates left side and is pulled down by Ian Gaynair and referee Williams rightfully rules penalty. I don’t know if this is the new trend for the bench in the B.P.F.L. but this coach Palmero Salas certainly seems to be conducting this cheering unit, which means confidence. Naturally, Deon McCauley gets the call and he makes no mistake as the B.D.F. moves to a 4-2 lead. Now hold on a minute, we’re at the other end off the kick-off when Jerome Archer is bodied to the ground inside the eighteen by Vallan Symms and we have another penalty kick. This is a big moment for F.C. Belize and Ryan Simpson, who steps up and he misses badly at a very bad time. Just before the half expires, Jerome Archer unleashes this left foot that rises over the bar and at the half, the B.D.F. leads the series 4-2.
Bad news seems to follow F.C. Belize in this one people because we’re in the opening minutes of the second half when Deon McCauley gets hit real hard by Jerome Archer. He gets a yellow card but Ian Gaynair mouths off to the referee and he is shown and ejection card. Mercifully, McCauley would continue. In the meantime, this foul by Tyronne Pandy of the B.D.F. on Jeromy James brings up the third penalty of this match-up. James gives the ball to goalkeeper Elroy Rawley who wants to take this penalty kick. He steps up and well, to say the least, the result is embarrassing and it seems to snuff the fight out of F.C. Belize. Still, Jeromy James tries to pull one back when Byron Usher picks him out but Woodrow West does enough to prevent him scoring. At the eighty-fifth minute, Tyronne Pandy pushes this ball to Deon McCauley who outruns the defense. Rawley comes out of goal and mishandles the ball. McCauley retrieves and scores into an empty net for the 4-zip final. As a result, the Belize Defence Force takes the 2009 title in a 5-2 aggregate so let the celebrations begin.
Checking to the B.P.F.L. individual awards shows that Vallan Symms of the B.D.F. took home the season MVP award and the best defender trophy. Daniel Jimenez of Hankook Verdes scored the most goals, Norman Pipersburgh of Hankook Verdes – best midfielder, Woodrow West of B.D.F. – best goalkeeper, Peter Jones of Verdes – best coach, Sergio Chuc also of Verdes – best manager while Deon McCauley took home the best forward award and the playoffs MVP award and we say congratulations to one and all. See you again next season.
In other football news, the Belize Bank semi-finals concluded over the weekend as Texmar United eliminated Kraal Road with a 3-2 win that gave them a 5-4 aggregate while San Felipe Barcelona hurt Valley Renaissance 4-1 to advance on a 7-2 aggregate. Thus the finals begin this Sunday three p.m. at San Felipe Barcelona with the home team hosting Texmar United.
In cycling news, we head to capital city Belmopan for the thirteenth running of the Alpheus Williams HIV cycle Classic as race official Kwame Scott conducts pre-race registration and we take this opportunity to introduce you to the two time defending champion Gregg Lovell of Santino’s. It’s a field forty-six men deep that breaks out at the start to this fifty mile race, which leaves Belmopan to finish at Leslies Imports Belize City and they’re off. Folks, we’re early into this ride when a crash leaves under twenty-three rider Elston Coleman injured on the highway after falling to the asphalt and breaking his right shoulder. In fact, he was taken away in this ambulance and we do pray that it’s not career ending injury. In the thirteenth Alpheus Williams Classic, the pelathon would not fragment even at the twenty-six point three mile clip that was the average in this outing.
So we have a truly large field sprint. And it’s Gregory Lovell of Santino’s taking his third Alpheus Williams title in a row and we say you’re big. Greggsy beat out Marlon Castillo of Zamir while Christian McNish of Benny’s Megabytes rounds out the top three finishers. All clocked at one hour, fifty-four minutes, five seconds. In the masters’ class, Stephen Bisset took top honours, Barry Brown took second and Andrew Cutkelvin finished third. On the female side, Shalini Zabaneh, Antheal Sutherland and Liona Humes finished in that order respectively. Deazan Spence beat Ethan Neal and Juan Umana respectively in the youth class while the big Jr. ride was won by Daniel Choto with Kyle Gentle second and Darren Williams third; all riding for Cayo High Road. The next big event on the cycling calendar is the New Years Day Cycling Classic sponsored by Krem.
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all. I’m James Adderley.
