Unity FC defeated Parry Town 1-0 to take the St Mary edition of the Guinness Street Football Challenge, held Sunday, May 10, at the HiLo complex in Port Maria, with Danique Edwards scoring the winning goal to decide the sixth parish play-off.Parry Town reached the finals by defeating Bailey’s Vale 1-0 in the first semi-final, while Unity got by Esher in sudden death penalties after the teams had played to a 0-0 draw. So huge was the response to the Guinness Street Football Challenge in St Mary that several teams had to be left out, with the organizers settling on 32 teams.After the hard-fought rounds, the excitement-filled final game was a fitting climax to the competition.For the win, Unity FC pocketed $200,000 and several other prizes including, from sponsors, Digicel credit, Guinness buckets and Gatorade. The event also presented opportunities for community members to earn income.Devon Sinclair, the St Mary pan chicken champion, was happy that the Guinness Challenge had reached Port Maria. “It’s an opportunity for people like myself to earn some money. Yes man, a good, good opportunity,” Sinclair said of the occasion.Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) second vice president and president of the St Mary Football Association, Raymond Anderson, was happy for the competition.“The JFF sanctioned it and as you see, we’re really enjoying it and I welcome them to the parish of St Mary,” Anderson stated.
With the St Mary play-off decided the organizers now have 24 of the 32 teams for the national finals on June 14.The final play-off before the finals will take place May 31 at Red Stripe, 214 Spanish Town Road with the winning to pocket $300,000.
The Jamaica winners will represent the country in the Caribbean Finals, in which 11 countries will participate, on June 27 and 28 at a venue yet to be decided.The winner for the Caribbean Finals will earn US$6,000 and second place US$3,000. “The Guinness Street Football Competition is much more than a football competition; it is a nation building initiative that unites communities in a sporting and entertainment spectacle like no other,” said Guinness brand manager Andrew Anguin.
“As we’ve travelled across the island, hundreds of footballers and thousands of spectators have turned out to enjoy the non-stop vibes from the best selectors in the business on our Guinness mobile music machines, top class street football action and of course Guinness Stout served well cold all day.”
