Team Alberts loses 1st basketball game in 3 years
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and in our first delivery of Sports Monday for 2009 we take this opportunity to wish all Belizeans much betterment in the new year.
Speaking of betterment, Kraal Road of Belize City reinforced its position as a powerhouse inside the Belize Bank Super League of soccer with a dominating performance against Barrio Fino of Corozal inside the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday. We’re some twenty minutes in when Raymond Gentle gets this look at goal but the ball fails to bend for him. On the very next press Gentle goes to the half turn but his shot lacks the power to make an impression. At the other end, Barrio Fino finally gets a shot at goal when number Hugo Aguilar fires this screaming left foot that forces goalkeeper Linares into action. In the meantime, this high center off the right wing from Raymond Gentle yields unexpected dividends when it drops behind the Barrio Fino keeper to make it a 1-zip ballgame at the thirty-fifth minute. Folks, Delroy Andrews should have made it 2-nil for Kraal Road right here but he’ll have to send that left foot back to school. At the forty-fifth minute of this ballgame Withfield Patnet’s center is redirected by Corozal defense, it bounces off the far post straight as to Leon Jones who nods it home as the city team takes that 2-zip lead into intermission.
Immediately into second half Kraal Road looks for more when Jason Young unleashed this left foot grass head burner that tangles in the side netting. Meanwhile, Corozal can only blame poor defense when Delroy Andrews capitalizes off the miscommunication between Zetina and Vega to bulge the net for the 3-zip lead. Andrews then sets table for Gentle whose terrible first touch instead gives Andrews a shot at goal that bounces off the back of keeper Zetina and can we just say Delroy’s second attempt was well, ill advised to say the least. Downfield, Barrio Fino tries to pull one back with this blast from Francisco Vella that turns out to be a high riser. This time downfield the visitors opt for the long distance bomb and while it looks good, it fails to hit the intended target. Nevertheless, it’s all Kraal Road in this one at the seventy-seventh minute. Jack Dawson sets up Leon Jones whose deft touch gives the home team a 4-zip big W over Barrio Fino.
In other action around the league, Texmar Boys kept its seven point lead atop the standings with a 3-1 W over Tsunami F.C. San Felipe Barcelona, in second place, kept pace with a 2-1 win over Valley Renaissance and Cayo South blanked Lake-Collet 1-nil. Week seventeen brings four matches this Sunday January eleventh. Tsunami will host Lake-Collet, Cayo South travels to Barrio Fino Corozal, Lucky Strike will host Valley Renaissance and Kraal Road will be at the M.C.C. Grounds against the dangerous San Felipe Barcelona.
In other football news, F.C. Belize continues its drive to overturn the 2008 Regents Cup title won by Llagulei of Dangriga earlier on.
Allison Jenkins, Physio-Therapist, F.C. Belize
“We had played the first game and then the player that was supposed to sit out after receiving three yellow cards, didn’t sit out. Therefore, they had played on with infringement of the rules and the by-laws of the game. A recent incident just happened where Fifa suspended a player for playing after he received three yellow cards; suspended him and the game that they won was null and void. So we believe the same thing should happen here in Belize and that’s what I want to bring to the sports fans attention.”
James Adderley
“So Llagulei has this title that you think is illegal. What you gonna do about it?”
Allison Jenkins
“Well, we believe that the championship that they had is illegal and should be null and void and we are going to fight this all the way to the Supreme court if we have to.”
James Adderley
“Llagulei said that you did the same thing playing a player who had three yellow cards.”
Allison Jenkins
“We did not play none of our players. It was Mark Leslie and Jerome James. We sat them both out before the game and we protested before the game started to bring it to the attention that this guy was supposed to sit out. Before we went to the first game played, that was the B.F.L. argument; that the guy was supposed to sit out the first game. But our argument was that in spite of we—we weren’t supposed to even protest the game—it should be that because they infringe the bylaws and the rules and regulations of the game, their win should be null and void.”
James Adderley
“The B.P.F.L. should have stepped in.”
Allison Jenkins
“Should have stepped in right there and said you’re playing an illegal player and therefore the goals that you score in Belize should be null and void and the game that we play in Belize instead of winning it by 3-1, they should have won it by 3-0.”
Folks, in this particular situation, we’ll just wait for the next stone to fall so stay tuned.
Turning to the basketball scene, Maxi Basket staged its semifinal round of the playoffs at the City Center yesterday and absolutely no one expected these results. It’s Old Technical Rebels with possession here in the opener and as the favourite in this match-up with Classic Purex, they look the role as Andrew “Jewboy” Robateau handles his business early. Robateau would finish with nineteen points. However, Purex has Douglas Renland today and he answers. This American would finish with the game high twenty-three points that features all of five three’s and here is one of those long distance dials from the American. Old Technical Rebels also had the hot hand of Rico Black who would hit three of three from three point range to finish with twelve points. This hit here is crucial as it ties the ballgame late in the fourth quarter at fifty-six apiece. “Jewboy” Robateau then comes up with this rebound to put back the put back as Classic Purex upsets the number two seed Old Technical Rebels 56-61 and if you don’t believe that’s bug then you don’t know Belizean basketball.
Meanwhile, the nightcap brought out undefeated and two time back to back champion Alberts United against Old Cemetery and Angus “Walla” Churrinton gets busy early sailing for two of his eighteen points here. Vince “The Postman” Lamb wants three and gets three as Alberts move into the lead. In fact, things go according to script up to the end of the third quarter when Alberts boast the forty-nine to forty-two lead. In the fourth quarter Old Cemetery would outscore Alberts twenty-four points to thirteen with Leroy Forbes looking like himself of old. Forbes would lead Old Cemetery with fifteen points. Another semi-pro veteran who did a number on Alberts also is Compton “Speedy” Staine. He would finish with thirteen points. It’s late in this ballgame when Ian “AC” Augustine ties the ballgame at 61 apiece. AC Augustine on the next possession spins to give Old Cemetery a two point lead. Kevin Seroki then sinks two free throws from the line after being fouled to make it a four point lead as Old Cemetery comes up with the biggest upset in Belizean basketball this year, beating the defending champion of Maxi-Basket 66-62 to move into the finals.
An email from the league states Vince Lamb and Floyd Leslie were guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct after this loss that team Alberts suffered, it’s first in three years. Maybe they’re not used to it as yet. Nevertheless, the game series for this year’s Maxi-Basketball kicks off on January eleventh at the City Center. It’s Old Cemetery against Classic Purex and it’s biggy. You surely will want to be a part of this scene if you are within the vicinity.
Anyway folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
