Digicel Emily’s Strikers take first leg Guinness Street Football Challenge

Digicel Emily’s Strikers are the winners of the first leg of the Guinness Street Football Challenge.

The seven-member squad, made up of Mark King, Azhino Solomon, Devon ‘Devil’ Browne, Eardley Wilson, Victor Boyea, Antonio Samuel, Ishmael Peters and led by manager Lyf Compton, took the first round of the competition last Friday, March 20{{more}} at the Sion Hill Hard Court, after defeating ECGC Ball Boyz in the final game of the night.

A total of 10 teams (split into two groups of five) took part in the Sion Hill leg of competition, with the two teams amassing the most points from each group moving on to the semi-finals.

Group A was made up of Digicel Emily’s Strikers, SOV Club 98 Hillside, ECGC Ball Boyz, Collin Free’s Ball Rollers and Speedy’s Stepdown Bar Militant Ballers, while Group B was made up of Bully’s Bar School Yard Strikers, Ken’s Bar Strikers FC, Kaka’s Chill Spot Evolution, The Parliament/Rudy IFC Ballers and Jacqueline’s Bar Ballers.

Moving into the semis from Group A were ECGC Ball Boyz and Digicel Emily’s Strikers, while The Parliament/Rudy IFC Ballers and Kaka’s Chill Spot Evolution moved forward from Group B.

During the semi-final games, Ball Boyz beat IFC Ballers 2-1, while Digicel defeated Evolution 1-0.

Facing off in the final game were Digicel and Ball Boyz. Ball Boyz went under 4-1.

By winning the first leg of the competition, Digicel Emily’s Strikers has earned a placed in the local finals of the competition, which take place on Saturday, May 30th at the National Tennis Centre in Villa.

Meanwhile, the second set of games kick off at the Chilli Hard Court, tomorrow Saturday, March 28. Other legs will be held at the Rose Bank Hard Court on Friday, April 10, the Calliaqua Hard Court on Saturday, April 11, the Keartons Hard Court on Friday, April 24, the Campden Park Hard Court on Saturday, May 2 and the Bequia Hard Court on Saturday, May 9.

Teams must be registered in the name of a bar, while registration fee is EC$40. Teams must comprise seven players and a manager, four on the field of play at one time and team members must be 18 years or over. Females are also allowed to participate.

Forms can be obtained from the St Vincent Brewery Ltd In Campden Park, the Brewery’s sales trucks and from local bars.

Last year, local team Team Crew placed third in the regional finals in Trinidad and as a result they have gained a pass straight into the 2015 finals of the local leg of the competition.

Teams that come out on top in the preliminary round will receive EC$500 and five cases of Guinness, while the team that wins on the night of the finals will get EC$6,000 and a chance to represent SVG in Jamaica at the regional finals, which run from June 27 to 28 this year.

Action begins at 6 p.m. on game day at the venues.