Diamond Jubilee hockey: Hikers edge GCC; Old Fort Inferno, Saints play out draw

Hikers secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) in the men’s division, while Old Fort Inferno and Saints battled to a 3-3 draw in the women’s competition as the Guyana Hockey Board’s (GHB) Diamond Jubilee Independence Competition continued on Friday evening at the National Stadium, Providence.

The men’s contest proved to be a closely fought affair with neither side able to break the deadlock during the opening period or by halftime.
Hikers eventually found the breakthrough in the 22nd minute when David Williams converted from a penalty corner to put his side ahead 1-0. Just two minutes later, Jamarj Assanah doubled the advantage with a field goal, giving Hikers a comfortable cushion heading into the latter stages of the encounter.
GCC continued to press for a way back into the contest and were rewarded in the 52nd minute when Devin Hooper scored from open play to reduce the deficit to 2-1. However, Hikers maintained their composure during the closing minutes to secure the victory.
The women’s fixture delivered plenty of excitement as Old Fort Inferno came from behind twice to earn a share of the points against Saints.
Saints made an ideal start, taking the lead in the fifth minute through Kaiyra Scott before Malcaylah Poole doubled the advantage one minute later to put her side 2-0 ahead.

Old Fort Inferno responded through Carolyn Deane, who found the back of the net in the 10th minute to halve the deficit. Deane struck again in the 22nd minute to level the scores at 2-2 and complete her brace.
Saints regained the lead in the 35th minute when Poole converted a penalty corner for her second goal of the evening and a 3-2 advantage.
Old Fort Inferno refused to go away and eventually found the equaliser in the 55th minute through Keitanna Percival, ensuring the contest finished level at 3-3.
The tournament opened on Thursday evening with GCC Elite and Old Fort Top Form recording victories in the first matches of the competition.
GCC Elite dominated Hikers 10-0 in the women’s division after establishing a commanding 5-0 lead at halftime, while Old Fort Top Form defeated Saints 4-2 in the men’s category.
The Diamond Jubilee Independence Competition continues over the weekend at the National Stadium, Providence, with teams looking to strengthen their positions ahead of the category finals, which are scheduled for Monday.