Riddim Squad needle Beacon FC to capture GFA Knockout title

Riddim Squad emerged champions of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Knockout competition on Saturday night after edging Beacon FC 1-0 in a tense final at the Plaisance Community Ground.
Backed by a vocal crowd of supporters, both teams battled evenly throughout the contest, but it was Wendell Joseph’s first-half strike that ultimately separated the two sides after 90 minutes of football.
Joseph found the breakthrough in the 23rd minute, showing his striker’s instincts to slot home after both teams struggled to convert their early opportunities during a cautious opening spell.

Beacon FC pushed repeatedly for an equaliser and tested the Riddim Squad defence on several occasions, but the eventual champions remained organised despite a few nervy moments late in the encounter.
Riddim Squad also swept the individual honours at the conclusion of the tournament. Seon Grant was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP), while teammate Kelvin Gordon secured the Highest Goalscorer award. Goalkeeper Ron Liverpool completed the clean sweep by taking home the Best Goalkeeper accolade.
Earlier in the evening, Vengy FC secured third place after defeating Eastveldt FC 5-4 on penalties following an evenly-contested encounter that could not be decided in regulation or extra time.
The third-place playoff came alive in the second half after a scoreless opening period that featured missed opportunities at both ends. Eastveldt struck first in the 56th minute through Aleem Murray, but Vengy responded quickly as Dominique Warren equalised just three minutes later.
Both teams created chances during the remainder of the contest, but solid defensive performances kept the scores level and forced the match into a penalty shootout, where Vengy held their composure to prevail.
In comments to Guyana Times Sport, GFA President Lomell Johnson described the tournament as a success and said the Association’s focus will now shift towards youth football with preparations ongoing for the recently-launched Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Youth Ensemble Programme.
The initiative will see regional member associations across the country competing at the Under-13 and Under-15 levels from May 16.
Johnson also noted that senior players within the GFA’s jurisdiction are expected to return to action shortly in the “June Madness” futsal competition, which is scheduled to begin on June 3.