MCYS/East Bank Inter Village Football – Garnett brace leads Grove to title; Herstelling settle for 3rd

Another commanding performance from Domini Garnett, this time in the championship match, steered Grove to the inaugural Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS)/East Bank Inter Village Football title.
Grove’s unbeaten run in the competition ended in celebrations at the Eccles EE Ground, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Saturday night where they cruised to the million-dollar top prize and Republic Bank trophy with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Kuru Kururu.
In the championship decider, Garnett led from the front in every regard to seal another title for the former East Bank Football Association (EBFA) champions.
The Grove talisman netted a double to end the tournament with a total of eight goals; he was also named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament. He netted in the 13th and 40th minute to compliment Lloyd Matthews’ seventh-minute effort as Kuru Kururu could not counter in any effective way the Grove backline.
Kudos to the Kuru Kururu team though, as they represented their village with determination and were rewarded with a prize of $500,000 for their efforts.

Garnett was rewarded for his MVP accolade with $100,000, compliments of Fitness Express while also receiving $80,000 as the tournament’s highest goalscorer and a voucher worth $25,000 pledged by A & B Variety Shop aka Green Shop of Lot 526 EE Eccles.
The third-place match between Herstelling and Agricola saw the former, on account of a Malcolm Hendricks goal in the 44th minute, seal victory and claim the Bounty Farm Ltd $250,000 cash prize. Agricola were rewarded with $150,000, also sponsored by Bounty Farm Ltd.
Copping the Best Goalkeeper prize of $80,000 was Grove’s Ronel McLean, who only conceded twice in the five matches his village contested, including four clean sheets.
Grove also copped another individual accolade as the Most Promising Player prize went to 19-year-old Shaquan Joseph. He was presented with $25,000 compliments of Quincy “Presser” Ashley, First Vice President of the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA).
Organiser of the tournament, Sports Extra expressed gratitude to all for their combined efforts which resulted in a successful tournament, which attracted 12 villages from the East Bank and the Linden- Soesdyke Highway, namely Circuitville, Swan, Kuru Kururu, Timehri, Soesdyke, Friendship, Grove, Kaneville, Mocha, Herstelling and Agricola.
Gratitude was also extended to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; Office of the Prime Minister; Ministry of Housing; Bounty Farm Ltd; Fitness Express; Star Rentals; Trophy Stall; NAMILCO and Republic Bank for their support.
Assisting with the presentation of prizes, which followed the final, were Michelle Harinarine (Chairperson Lamaha-Yarrowkabra Neighbourhood Democratic Council [NDC]); Kevin Ally of Bounty Farm Ltd and Balgraj Budwa of the Grove/Diamond NDC.