Pefferville trip up, but young star proves great pick

TWICE East London Central Local Football Association U13 league champions Leeds United defied all odds by beating Pefferville United 1-0 in their gripping title decider to win the Inaugural Impala Electrical-sponsored U14 league championship on Sunday at the North End Stadium.

It was heartbreak for the young talent from Pefferville who led the logstandings the entire season only to see the title snatched from under their noses through a last-gasp goal.

It was end-to-end stuff in this encounter with both sides producing exceptional football.

Pefferville United appeared to have done enough until Leeds United midfield talisman and man-of-the-match Devandre Adams stepped up to take a free-kick with 10 minutes remaining which somehow eluded the keeper before finding the back of the net. In the other U14 results, Seagulls secured third place after they beat Atlantic Spurs 3-2 and Prides beat Braelyn United 2-0.

Having already secured the Joe Hendricks Memorial U16 league title, Scenery Park-based Millan faced Central United on Sunday at the North End Stadium in their final fixture and they did not disappoint as they triumphed by a 3-0 margin to round off an excellent season. In the other U16 results, FC East London earned a 2-0 win against Riverside and on Saturday Central United beat Prides 1-0.

East London Central Local Football Association is now two rounds away from concluding their football season after completing a full round of Clayton/Brendan de Kock-sponsored U10 and Calvin Brown-sponsored U12 league fixtures on Saturday at North End. With Prides having already clinched the U10 league title and Pefferville United securing the U12 league championship, the battle for second place is however still up for grabs with Central United and Leeds United the frontrunners.

Central United beat their B-counterparts 3-1 on Saturday and Leeds United recorded a 2-0 win against Merchants in their U10 league encounters. The newly-crowned U10 league champions Prides were held to a goalless draw by Santa Rosa. In the U12 league encounters Leeds United beat Atlantic Spurs 3-2 and Central United picked up a convincing 5-2 win against Merchants.

East London Central hosted an Extraordinary Congress on Saturday where they, among other things, announced the young player that will be travelling to Spain in July 2018 to compete in the annual Barcelona Youth Football games.

Pefferville United’s dynamic 15- year-old striker Juliano Botha has been selected for this once-in-a-lifetime trip. East London Central youth director Vuyo Zambodla explained: “This project was one of our 2017 targets and objectives to have one of our youth players travelling overseas with all costs covered by the organisation. We were able to raise these funds during the course of the year and it is extremely pleasing as a football organisation to be able to afford one of our most gifted young players this opportunity.”

Zambodla added: “As a football institution we are totally committed to our football development programme.” — DDC