EBFA Coca Cola Senior League…Grove Hi Tec & Banks FC to clash in final; Warriors & Timehri play for 3rd

Nov 29, 2011 Sports

The inaugural Banks DIH Coca Cola Senior League champions for the East Bank Football Association (EBFA) will be crowned on Sunday afternoon at the Diamond Community Centre Ground when the final is contested.
Earning the right to square off for the top prize of $300,000 are Grove Hi Tec and Banks FC following their respective semifinal wins on Sunday last at the same venue.
Banks FC were easy 2-0 winners over Kuru Kururu Warriors with goals either side of play; Devon ‘Peasy’ Forde in the 27th minute, Phillip Rowley sealing the deal two minutes into the second half.
Grove toppled former League Champs and leading East Bank side Timehri Panthers in an epic battle 6-5 on sudden death penalty kicks following a 1-1 stalemate in regulation and extra time to set up their date with Banks FC in the final.
Regulation time produced a fierce tussle between the arch rivals with the Timehri boys sneaking into the lead 63 minutes into the war. The goal certainly broke the pressure for the Timehri fans while adding same on the Grove fans.
With both teams already booking their place in the 22nd edition of the Kashif & Shanghai Football tournament, Timehri as the number one choice for the EBFA and Grove as the number one standby in order of priority after Alpha United was booted.
Grove, former East Bank champs had a point to prove that they are still capable of regaining their status as the best and that they went about in business like fashion.
While Timehri were still in a celebratory mood, Grove struck back in fine style mere minutes after finding themselves behind. Dominic Garnett found the back of the nets four minutes after his side give up the lead.
It was back to square one after both teams found the nets on one occasion each as neither was able to rock the network again in regulation or extra time which followed. It was now down to penalty kicks which still did not separate the two battling sides after the first five. Grove as it turned out was able to be stronger in crunch time as they converted their kick in sudden death while Timehri failed to buy theirs; their lapse earned Grove their passage into the Championship game on Sunday against Banks FC.
This match promises to be the fitting climax to a competition that came in the nick of time sponsored by Banks DIH under their Coca Cola brand aimed at reviving the game of the East Bank.
The tone is now set for East Bank to keep the momentum going and Banks DIH seems set and ready to flex their corporate muscles in this regard.
The third-place game on Sunday will precede the final and kick off time is set at 13:00hrs.