By S. Siapha Mulbah
The Paynesville City Orange Cup derby between Heaven Eleven and Paynesville Football Clubs ended on Wednesday February 7, 2024 in a 4-3 penalty kick win in the favor of Paynesville FC.
The qualification to the quarterfinal stage of the Football Association Cup for Paynesville puts them in the next most anticipated double-leg fixture against the Liberia Shipping and Corporate Registry (LISCR) Football Club, who are currently defending the title as winners of the last edition.
Paynesville and Heaven Eleven played to a 1-1 draw at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, with the two goals coming in the 60th and 66th minutes of the second half. Edward Ledlum was the first to raise the curtain for Paynesville and the ‘Heavenly Messengers’ beat all odds in just six minutes to have the score line back to equilibrium through Korvah Kollie.
The ‘Shipping Boys’ eliminated Careysburg’s only second division club, Shaita FC, 3-1 on the same day at the Tusa Field in Gardnerville, to book the quarterfinal ticket. Joe Bloe, Daniel Toe, and Sheku Sherriff, scored the shippers’ goals, while Momo Blamo scored the only goal the visitors could register for the day.
Joe Bloe’s 24th-minute header for the match opener was equalized by Momo Blamo on 37 minutes for a 1-1 half time result. In the second half, Daniel Toe in the 48th minute, put his team back in front with another header, and Sheku Sheriff came through with the last goal in the additional eight minutes of stoppage time.
LISCR and Paynesville will meet in the first leg of the quarter final on Friday, March 6, 2023, with a return leg on Saturday, March 30, 2024, but venue that has not been decided by the Liberia Football Association, who is the organizer of the competition.
On the same dates and procedures, the following fixtures are to be observed: Jubilee FC versus Discoveries Sports Academy, Invincible Eleven versus Junior Professionals, and Global Pharma versus Mighty Barrolle.