Good evening. I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
The Belize City over thirty-five football competition continues to roll inside the M.C.C. Grounds as the battle for the lead in the standings between Ebony Lake and Kulture Yabra rages. Both teams saw action yesterday with the number one spot at stake. And here’s kickoff time as the cellar dwelling, Northside United, goes up against Kulture Yabra in the top half of the double header feature. Five minutes in Yabra gets busy with this dangerous pass from Charlie Slusher to Emmerson Jones who botches the scoring attempt with a terrible first touch. So Jones tries to make amends off this defensive lapse only to be foiled by the goalkeeper Marlon Rosado. Charlie Slusher then displays his semi-pro status with this right away right foot volley that Rosado digs out of the dirt. For sure the Northside defense hurts its own cause with these types of turnovers but Emmerson Jones hits the near upright to let them off the hook. However, some twenty-five minutes in, Norman “Tilliman” Nunez uses this set piece to find his semi-pro colleague Charlie Slusher who gives Kulture Yabra a 1-zip lead. Folks, five minutes later, Kevin Rowland centers off the right wing and the ball curls into the far upright and we have a tied ballgame. People, we must say this goal is not intentional when Peter Guy triggers this corner kick that bends into the net and we have a 2-1 ballgame heading into half time. But first here is Emmerson Jones in a one on one situation against Marlon Rosado only to blow the left foot offering.
Four minutes into second half, Norman “Tilliman” Nunez flicks this wicked pass to Charlie Slusher who cannot make use of it. Burst out the champagne for Emmerson Jones after Charlie Slusher finds him with this pass and Mr. Jones gets on the scoreboard with a crucial left foot that gives Kulture Yabra a 3-1 lead. Northside responds by freeing up Wayne Eiley and all we can say here is that he should have scored when he didn’t. At the other end Charlie Slusher gets this look at goal but he only makes Marlon Rosado look good. Meanwhile, folks Kevin Rowland has everything he needs to pull one back for Northside and how he misses from this range can only be termed a mystery. It’s all Yabra now and Peter Guy tries to add to the lead but Rosado comes up with a big time save. Now watch this defensive error that gifts the pill to Charlie Slusher, who scores his second of the match as Kulture goes up 4-1. In the meantime, Tilliman tattoos Rosado from close range but the scoreboard remains unimpressed. Make it a 5-1 final as Charlie finds the goalkeeper poorly positioned and he makes him pay with his third goal of the outing. However, Kulture Yabra’s ascending into the top of the standings was short-lived because in the nightcap Ebony Lake got a penalty conversion from Paul Bradley to burn Belize City All Stars 1-zip. Thus, after this weekend, the Lake leads with twelve points, Yabra shows eleven, the Belize City Stars four, Plaza four, and Northside United have only amassed two points.
In cycling news, we take you north to the Orange Walk Town Hall for the start of the fifty-five mile ride to mile two on the Northern Highway as presented by the Weekend Warriors Club yesterday as the elder statesmen of the sport continue the process of determining who is number one. And some twenty-five riders are off towards the finish line at M&M Engineering at mile two just outside Belize City in what is called a lead-out. Just outside of Suga City the race is officially started and yeah we can say for certain, they’re off. At mile forty, the pack remains bunched up so Andrew Ordonez steps out to capture the premie. At the Crooked Tree Junction, the Fabrigas rider Andrew Ordonez gobbles up the second of three premies being offered today and he faces little resistance on this effort. However, by the time the race rolls past mile twenty-one, it’s Juan Gonzalez of Team Truckers Posse who steps out to claim the station prize. At the finish line we’ve still got a big crowd and the sprint to the tape begins in earnest. It’s that wily veteran Santino Castillo of Truckers Posse, who burns Roque Matus of M&M Engineering to grab first prize in a time of one hour, fifty-six minutes, fourteen seconds. Andrew Ordonez settles for third, Fitzgerald Palas Joseph takes fourth while Albert Conorquie rounds out the top five.
In other cycling news, the Belize Cycling Association’s fifty-two mile race on the Boom Circuit Saturday was taken by Brandon Cattouse of C-Ray Cycling in two hours, five minutes. Peter Choto pulled up second, Rodrigo Leiva third, Roger Troyer fourth and Allen Castillo rounds out the top five.
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.
