By Avenash Ramzan
Guyana produced a much improved performance on Friday morning, but still went down to Mexico in the Pan American Junior Men’s Hockey championship in Toronto, Canada.
After lopsided defeats in their previous four games, the Guyanese managed to stitch together their best performance of the tournament to date, stretching the Mexicans in their 3-2 win.
When Mexico took the lead as early as the fourth minute through Jorge Aguilar, there were signs of another one-sided affair, but the Guyanese held their nerves to produce the equaliser.
It was Keon McKenzie, who found the neutralising goal in the 16th minute to spark wild celebrations in the Guyanese camp.
With scores level, both teams battled hard to find the go-ahead goal, and in the 39th minute it was Mexico who took the lead through Ivan Arballo.
Four minutes later, Guyana’s star player Aroydy Brandford, who scored his country’s only two goals prior to Friday’s game, would equalise to create an air of unease in the Mexicans’ dugout.
With time winding down, both teams attacked the goal relentlessly, and it the Mexicans who managed to breach the defence in the 65th minute to pull off the win. The all-important goal came off the stick of Raymundo Lemus.
Guyana will now play the loser of the Trinidad and Tobago/Puerto Rico clash on Saturday in the 7-8 place playoff, while Mexico will play in the 5-6 playoff.
