Linden All Stars draw first blood in ‘Bounce back Classic’

Story and Photos by Jemima Holmes

Linden did as Linden does when it comes to football. Linden did it in the opening game of the Bounce back Football Classic on Tuesday evening.
It was no easy feat for the Lindeners, but they made it look like a day at the office as they schooled the East Coast All Stars, whom they defeated 4-2 in the tournament organized by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF); Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCY&S) and Kashif and Shanghai (K&S).
The East Coast All Stars were put at an early disadvantage owing to a hard tackle in the goal area in the 8th minute.

The East Coast goalkeeper came crashing down in the 18-yard box, and with him the hopes of the East Coast team to reach Friday’s final.
East Coast player Shamar Scott could’ve had the first goal, but the crossbar stood in his way following an assertive shot in the 20s.
Western Tigers’ Cortez Kellman was eventually the first man to take advantage of the East Coast goalkeeper’s severed ability, when he capitalised on his charge towards him, outfoxing him to sink the first goal of the tournament in the 34th.
The second strike came soon after, as GDF’s Abumuchi Benjamin made goal scoring look easy-peazy with a simple touch into the nets.
Omari Glasgow opened the scoring in the second half, giving East Coast their first goal following a series of simple plays from his teammates. Jamar Harrigan kept the ball on the wings before passing inside to Glasgow, who was tasked only with making a simple straight shot into the nets.
Although they changed their goalkeeper for the second, the new custodian was caught slipping like the first when Jermain Junor tried and scored. Benjamin made it a brace to his name in the 57th following up in an assist from his teammates inside the box.
With the score now at 4-1, urgency and confusion rose in the East Coast camp, the players scrambling to up their tally.
A handled ball inside the box assured EC of their second goal after being awarded a penalty. Shot taken by Jamar Harrigan in the 78th, the Linden goalkeeper, Sese Norville, who had been impeccable up until this point, gave up in the save even before the ball met him, giving away the goal.
Up to press time, the second encounter on Tuesday evening between the Georgetown All Stars and the West Demerara All Stars stood at 1-1.