Team captain Luke Phillip was the hero for Guapo Uprising Youths as he fired in a hat-trick to inspire Guapo Uprising Youths to an entertaining come-from-behind 4-3 triumph over Gasparillo Youths ‘Y’ in this year’s final of the West Penn Islandwide Community Youth (Under-21) Football Tournament at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex, Savannah Road, Diego Martin, on August 23. The tournament was hosted by the West Penn Centre for Sports and Culture in conjunction with RBC Royal Bank of T&T.
Gasparillo Youths ‘Y’ broke the deadlock in the 25th minute through Ricardo Williams, but just before the half-time interval, Guapo Uprising Youths, who were relieved of the title last year due to the use of the ineligible player against Malabar Semi Pro Blasters, eventually three-time winners in the final, hit back with two goals from Phillip in the 43rd and 45th minutes for a 2-1 half-time lead.
Nine minutes into the second half, Adica Ash drew Gasparillo Youths’ ‘Y’, while Tyrese Harding netted in the 65th minute to give the Central-based club the 3-2 lead with 25 minutes to go in the encounter.
But there was still another twist to the contest to come, with Osie Andrews getting Guapo Uprising Youths back on level terms at 3-3 in the 76th minute, and with three minutes left in the heated clash, Phillip fired in his third item of the night to complete his hat-trick and restore his team’s lead at 4-3, which they managed to hang onto until the final whistle to take home the $15,000 winners’ prize, while the runner-up collected $10,000.
Two weeks ago in the semifinals, Guapo Uprising Youths and Gasparillo Youths ‘Y’ won at the Brian Lara Recreation Ground in Santa Cruz in contrasting fashion.
The night’s second semifinal was a closely fought contest, with Phillip firing home the decisive item for Guapo Uprising Youths a minute into time added on at the end of regulation time for a 2-1 win over Mascall Football Academy.
Malachi Crichlow had given Guapo Uprising Youths the lead in the 42nd, only for Matthew-Lee Cummings to get Mascall Football Academy back on level terms in the 53rd minute, before Phillip’s late winner.
In the first semis, Williams picked up from where he left off in the quarterfinals by scoring a beaver-trick in Gasparillo Youth’s ‘Y’ 5-3 defeat of Crown Trace.
Williams scored as early as the fifth minute, followed by second-half strikes in the 52nd, 70th and 77th minutes, while Josiah Cooper was also on target in the first half for the winners as they overturned a 2-3 half-time deficit.
For Crown Trace, the trio of Jusiah Isaac (24th), Andell Fraser (38th) and Malachi Celestine (42nd minute) were all on target for Crown Trace in the first half, but in the second half they failed to rediscover their scoring touch and in the end bowed out of the tournament.
Prior to the title match, Crown Trace got two goals each from Malachi Celeste and Israel Outar to defeat Mascall Football Academy 5-3.
Celestine got his goals early, in the first minute and 50th, while Outar got his brace in the 11th and 21st, and Khristian James got the other in the 67th minute to secure the $5,000 third-place prize, while the trio of Romelle Gabriel (3rd), Tyrique Lucas (25th), and Matthew-Lee Cummings (54th) got a goal each for Mascall Football Academy, who took home $3,000.
Among the other sponsors of the tournament are the Ministry of Sport and Community Development (MSCD) and the National Gas Company of T&T (NGC).
Saturday’s (August 23) results
Final
Guapo Uprising Youths 4 (Luke Phillip 43rd, 45th, 87th, Osie Andrews 75th) vs Gasparillo Youths ‘Y’ 3 (Ricardo Williams 25th, Adica Ash 54th, Tyrese Harding 65th)
Third place
Crown Trace 5 (Malachi Celestine 1st, 50th, Israel Outar 11th, 21st, Khristian James 67th) vs Mascall Football Academy 3 (Romelle Gabriel 3rd, Tyrique Lucas 25th, Matthew-Lee Cummings 54th)
