Football and cycling on Sports Monday with James Adderley

Good evening I’m James Adderly welcome to Sports Monday. Week eleven in the Belikin Cup found the Belmopan Bandits hosting a struggling Police United inside the Isidoro Beaton Stadium Saturday night. Deon McCauley back in Belize after travelling abroad to in an attempt to sign an international contract was greeted most unceremoniously in the opening minutes by Jermaine Jones of the Police who escapes without a card of any color. For the Police who have been at the bottom of the standings for most of the season, goals have been hard to come by and Jeremy Bermudez should have done better with this look at goal. It’s a moment fought with danger when David Trapp hooks up with McCauley who beats goalkeeper Keith Allen to ball but the keeper does come up with a massive save. Meanwhile the Police get another good look to open the scoreboard but the left foot blast from Bernel Valdy turns out to be a high riser. Again it’s the Police with the initiations and again Jeremy Bermudez can’t open the scoreboard after being thwarted by Woodrow West. In this pass across the goalmouth and it’s disappointing that neither Kafu Roches nor Danny Jimenez can do anything with it. We’re in the 2^nd half play when Ian Gaynair sets table perfectly for Deon McCauley and the striker raises the ball over the Crossbar from close range. When Danny Jimenez steals this ball from Tyrel Sheppard he does everything right except provide the power to get this ball past goalkeeper West. We’re some 60 minutes in when Denmark Casey, Jr. finds David Trapp in front of the goal and Trapp’s header gives the Bandits a 1 – zip lead. Some 5 minutes later Amin August, Jr. triggers this set piece into the box and Clifton West comes out of nowhere to fire this on the run volley that is a thing of beauty. More importantly he ties the ballgame at 1 apiece. Pumped up the Police looks for more and when Bernard Linares sends Kafu Roches running he beats the keeper but s failed by good defensive work from Alroy Kuylen. This one ends in a 1 – 1 tie as both ball clubs share the points. In other section around the league Verdes jolted Paradise Freedom Fighter in a 1 – zip blast and FC Belize burned the BDF in a 2 – 1 affair. Meanwhile folks General Secretary of the PLB informed us that the protest division in the Bandits/FC Belize controversy giving 3points to Belmopan was unacceptable and the points now go back to FC Belize. Thus FC Belize now leads the standings with 16 points, Belmopan Bandits with the draw finds itself at 15; both teams have 2 matches remaining. Verdes with 14 points has 4 games remaining; Paradise has 14 with 3 games to go. The BDF with 3 to go shows 12 points, san Ignacio with 3 to go has 8 points and the Police with 4 matches remaining have amassed 5 points. This weekend brings up week 12 with Saturday matches Police hosts Paradise freedom Fighters at the Isodoro Beaton. The BDF will be inside the Carl Ramos for its take with San Ignacio and at the Marshalleck Stadium the big match-up finds Verdes hosting FC Belize. Turning to the Cycling scene the 2^nd annual Leslie’s Imports Roe-Christmas Race took off from in front Leslie’s Imports yesterday featuring various categories. And this is what the start looks like. In the elite class these 3 riders would take command off the race and would share the 5 station prizes. Byron Pope in the lead would take Beaver Damn Bridge, Hattieville and CDS Service Station, Giovanni Lovell behind him would take top of 6 miles Bridge while David Henderson grabbed the prize at La Democracia. On the way back it still the big 3 in control still 10 miles away from the finish line. So we head to the finish line for the 3 man sprint. It’s Byron Pope on the pace – Giovanni Lovell mounts a challenge and the Telemedia rider takes the W in impressive fashion forcing the Benny’s Megabytes rider Byron Pope and David Henderson, Jr. into 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. All three were  clocked at 3 hours 21 minutes 3 seconds. In other results Jose Choto of Cayo High Road took the master class. Gilharry of Ride to Victory won the masters 4/5 category. Alicia Thompson of Belize Bank prevailed in the female class, Delanin Abraham of Benny’s Megabytes took the Junior Category and Darien Anderson riding unattached emerged with the Youth Category win. Meanwhile folks the 1^st John Shamba Dominguez Norice race which is open to Primary School children 13 and under only gets off at 2 P.M. on December 20^th.