MRS in Narrow Win over Keffi Ponys

Access Bank/UNICEF Polo

MRS defeated Keffi Ponys 9-8 thursday enhance their push for the Charity Shield title in the 2016 Access Bank-UNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament holding at the Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club, Kaduna.

Ponys, which paraded Ahmed Wadada (0), Babangida Hassan (+)3), Diego White (+6) and Santiago Cernadas (+6), started the game on a two-goal handicap lead and they added to their advantage through Santi Cernadas’ 30 yarder.

White, one of the Argentine quartet on the field, threatened to respond for MRS formed by Bashir Dantata (+3), Idris Badamasi (+2), Leroux Hendrix (+5) and Tom De Bruin. (+7), but was ride off by DeBruin as the opening chukka begins to intensify but they eventually got off the mark via a 60 yarder from De Bruin bringing the first chukka to a close at 3-1.

South African De Bruin scored another goal at the start of the second chukka but he soon fluffed the chance to level the tie sending his 60yarder off target.
Hassan made his presence felt in the early part of the third chukka scoring a fantastic goal with a diagonal mid-air shot from 25 yards after Cernadas was beaten by the bounce to make scores 5-2.

However, Hendrix, another South African in the MRS team, got on the scoresheet but Cernadas hits back to end the chukka 6-3. De Bruin mande good use of the closing minute to score twice to keep the MRS deficit at just a goals but a goal by Cernadasas made scores to 7-5 as it starts to rain.

Badamasi and Cernadas, in order, scored for both sides as scores stood at 8-6 at the end of the fourth chukka while De Bruin,……..got two goals of the fifth chukka taking scores to 8-8.

De Bruin shot MRS in the lead for the very first tie the final chukka and it proved the winning goal.

Today’s game will see Lagos side, Caverton/Sao Polo taking on Kashton in the Access Bank Cup Charity while Keffi Ponys confront Access Bank/Fifth Chukker in the Charity Shield.