Simon’s 5 dents Knockers, Branford scores hat trick

GHB/ Lucozade Hockey indoor league…

As action continued in the Guyana Hockey Board/ Lucozade indoor league tournament at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, on Tuesday Old Fort Stallions destroyed Old Fort Knockers 9-1 while Pepsi Hikers emerged victorious against Bounty GCC 6-3.

Aderemi Simon produced five world class goals in the Stallions confident run in the first match but it was Terry Shaw who opened the account for the Stallions in the 7th minute and came once more in the 10th before Simon took over. Simon scored two more goals, in the 15th and 16th minute to leave the score at 4-0 at the halfway mark.
Stephon Sprosta would then score in the 25th minute for the Knockers in what looked like it would be a fight back, but proved to be the only goal the Knockers team would score in the entire match.
Jason DeSantos continued the Stallions’ impressive run, registering his first goal by the 35th minute and Simon returned to score his third and the Stallions’ 6th goal for the night in the 35th minute.
It seemed as if there was no return for the Knockers with Omar Hopkinson making the 7th Stallion goal in 37 minutes of play to signal the end of a complete Stallions’ dominance but the Knockers were loose and allowed two more before the final whistle.
Simon closed off proceedings with back to back goals in the 37th and 39th minutes to leave the Knockers staggering to a 9-1 defeat by full time.
In the second game of the night, Aroydy Branford’s hat trick helped Pepsi Hikers register six goals while Bounty GCC were restricted to three goals.
By the end of the first half it looked to be anyone’s game with the score locked at 3-2 in favour of the Hikers.
Devin Munroe scored the first goal of the match and for Hikers in the 6th minute but the score was quickly leveled by GCC’s Peter DeGroot one minute later.
Steven Xavier then put GCC in the lead with a penalty corner goal in minute 14 before Arody Branford scored in the 15th and 17th minute to end an exciting first half.
Branford carried his positive game into the second half and managed his third in the 25th while teammate, Colonel Heywood added to the Hikers’ tally in the 27th minute.
Kevin Spencer would not miss out on the fest and scored the third and final goal for the GCC team in the 32nd minute with Rayon Branford closing off a thrilling game with the Hiker’s 6th goal in the 32nd minute as well.
Action continues at the same venue on Friday with two more matches from 17:00h.