Tobago “small-goal” stars, Drifterz Answer Back did just as its name suggests by sealing the $30,000 cash prize, and a spot in the regional final after winning the national final of the Guinness Street Football Challenge, with a sudden death penalty kick over touches, on Saturday night.
The eight-team national preliminary matches and the final took place at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo, with the returning team, Drifterz taking the enviable purse and bragging rights, after an excellent showing of technique, close control and good finishing at the expense of the North westt zone winners.
Drifterz, the first team to qualify for the 2012 national final, took part in the inaugural event last year, but was booted out of the competition in the Tobago Zone final.
The team advanced to the final of the competition after a semifinal win, albeit on another sudden death penalty kick. In the preliminary stages Drifterz won the first match, dropping Jr Mafia 1-0, before snubbing returning North East winner Foundation 2-0.
In its third match of the preliminary stage, it lost 2-0 to none other than the national finalist Touches. Unlike the many preliminary matches which has the spectators biting nails, the final was tense but not as entertaining, as both teams defended their goal by all means.
As the 15 minute match ended without a goal, it was decided that an additional five minutes would be played in order to give both teams a more even chance of winning it outright. The deadlock though, was never broken.
Sudden death penalty kicks followed, and as both teams failed to convert on the first attempt from the spot which measured half the length of the pitch, Touches stepped up for a second try but again missed the target.
Drifterz then well and truly lived up to their name, as the second kick taker Tola Taylor, the team's captain, confidently slotted home the winning penalty, which sealed the team's top prize purse and a spot in Guyana next week and prompted scandalous celebrations from the team clad in green.
Touches were made to settle for a second placed finish which was rewarded with $10,000. The third placed team Mash Dem Down took $5,000. The team was led throughout the Tobago zone and the preliminary stages through attacker Antonio Balfour, who plies his trade with Tobago's top football club Stokely Vale.
Balfour notched eight goals overall which saw him take the “Golden Boot”. The rest of the team included Jayvon Quashie, Joel James, Kerwin Simon, Norrel Osmond, Corey Carrington and Aaron Clarke. Guinness truly put on an exciting show, presenting T&T’s top freestyle footballer Kerron Forde, before introducing Soca Warriors captain and Stoke City striker Kenwyne Jones, the ambassador for the regional event.
Jones proceeded to distribute footballs by punting them into the crowd of enthusiastic spectators. Entertainment was later provided by local reggae stars Prophet Benjamin and Marlon Asher, both of whom were well received.
The regional final, which will feature a representative from St Lucia, St Vincent, Haiti, Antigua and host nation Guyana, will take place on Saturday. Driterz Answer back will have to be at its best to take the final, which has at stake, a first place cash prize of US$4,000 and a multipurpose sporting turf for its community.