San Pedro Pirates crush Benque United 5-1

On Saturday, September 19th, the San Pedro Pirates bounced back from their first Premier League of Belize (PLB) loss in emphatic fashion, defeating Benque United 5-1 at Ambergris Stadium.
The island’s premier football team entered the match following a 3-1 defeat against Napoles, which saw them drop in the PLB standings. The Pirates regrouped ahead of Saturday’s home game against Benque United, which kicked off at 7:30PM with a strong turnout of fans supporting the island squad. From the opening minutes, the Pirates dominated play and looked organized and determined to win on home turf.
San Pedro opened the scoring in the 20th minute through Jaider Ledesmot. Benque’s defense appealed for offside, but the referee allowed the goal, giving the Pirates a 1-0 advantage. In the 40th minute, Louis Valdez doubled San Pedro’s lead, sending the home team into halftime comfortably ahead 2-0.
Benque United returned to the pitch with a more aggressive approach but struggled to break down the Pirates’ defense. The visitors created several chances, but San Pedro’s defenders and goalkeeper kept them from finding the back of the net. In the 65th minute, Ian Pou fired a long-range shot from the left side of the field to score the Pirates’ third goal.
Benque continued searching for a way back into the match, but San Pedro remained firmly in control. In the 72nd minute, island player Torry Guzman added a fourth goal for the Pirates. Moises Hernandez then made it 5-0 in the 80th minute, despite Benque players appealing for offside.
As the match approached its final minutes, Benque United managed to get on the scoreboard. In the 83rd minute, Laruni Herrera found an opening near San Pedro’s goal and scored the visitors’ lone goal.
At the final whistle, the San Pedro Pirates celebrated a commanding 5-1 victory in front of their home crowd.
The Pirates are now gearing up for the second round of the PLB season, with a crucial home fixture against defending 2025-2026 Closing Season champions Verdes FC scheduled for October 10th.
In other PLB action, Napoles defeated Progresso 5-2, while Verdes FC overwhelmed Wagiya SC 4-0.