Shiva Boys win Guyana tourney

NICKOLAI MADRAY

SHIVA BOYS ended 2018 on a high, with victory in the KFC Goodwill Tournament in Guyana over the weekend.

Shiva Boys, the 2017 national Intercol champions, sealed the first place trophy on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Christianburg Wismar Secondary School in their final match. It was their third consecutive victory for Shiva Boys, after beating Annai Secondary and Annandale Secondary at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

Christianburg Wismar also defeated the other two teams by lopsided margins, making the final game the deciding match of the round robin tournament.

The start of the match saw both sides attacking and creating chances which dictated the competitive nature of the tie. The boys from TT took the lead in the first half through a header from Steven Thomas in the 35th minute and they maintained the advantage until the half. In the second half, Christianburg Wismar came out aggressive and showed exactly why they’ve earned the reputation as one of the top footballing schools in Guyana. The home side eventually found the equalizer in the 70th minute, unlocking the Shiva defence by beating the offside trap. Despite not competing in the premier division of the Secondary Schools Football League this season, Shiva Boys showed their pedigree to dig deep for the result. The Penal-based school injected fuel into their tank as they were determined to travel back home with the trophy. Behind on goal difference in the tournament, Shiva Boys pressed for the go-ahead goal needed to win the competition and were gifted a penalty in the spirit of the season.

A Christianburg Wismar defender handled ball in the box in the 85th minute and the referee had no choice but to award the visitors a spot kick. Midfielder Gesiah Bishop stepped up with poise and precision to score the winning goal of the tournament as Shiva Boys held on till the final whistle.

The successful champions from the south returned home yesterday in time for the Christmas holiday.