Flawless GDF claims Division One League win

An absolute screamer off the boot of Sandra Johnson made all the difference between the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Women’s Football Club and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) FC in what was the Women’s Division One League decider at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) National Training Center (NTC) at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
Tied on a perfect 24 points from eight games played, it all boiled down to the final clash under the Friday night lights, which would ultimately decide the winner of the tournament’s league phase.
For Police, it was a must-win encounter, given their inferior goal difference to the soldiers; even a draw would not suffice.
On the other hand, all the soldiers needed was a draw, but when left up to their star winger, Sandra Johnson, who had just come off a start with the Lady Jags in their CONCACAF W Qualifiers clash against Nicaragua, nothing but a win would do for the ladies in green.
From the first whistle, GDF’s women controlled the majority of possession. A few early shots found their way on target, but nothing could penetrate the laser focus of Police’s keeper, Dekola Chester. That is, until the 15th minute.

A lapse in Police’s play saw Glendy Lewis winning possession of the ball. Now on the charge with limited bodies behind, the pass to Johnson was as smooth as butter. The striker took a few moments to settle before deciding on the left-footed shot that sailed perfectly into the top right corner of the goal and out of Chester’s grasp for what would become the game-winning strike.
Police made several notable changes after the halftime interval, and though they were able to keep GDF’s relentless attack at bay and even created a few chances of their own, it was not enough to find the game-levelling strike to keep them in contention for the title.
As such, GDF will be crowned champions of the competition’s league phase, with the playoff (knockout) aspect to come soon.
Meanwhile, also on Friday night, Western Tigers FC ended their league campaign on a winning note, drubbing Monedderlust FC 5-0.

It was a tough first half for both sides, as the Berbice-based outfit was kept on their toes while the West Ruimveldt-based side just couldn’t seem to make their chances stick. As such, the encounter remained a stalemate at the halftime interval.
Soon after the game resumed, Marissa Frank took matters into her own hands; her right-footed shot into the corresponding corner from just inside the penalty area finally separated the two teams in the 37th minute.
Frank would go on to complete her hat trick in the 42nd and 45th minutes, while Ciara Glasgow added her name to the scoresheet in the 40th and 53rd minutes for their massive win.
Though the curtains have come down on the Women’s Division One League phase, the knockout competition is billed to kick off on Wednesday, December 10, at the same venue.