Brittons Hill United are the new leaders of the Barbados Football Association’s Premier League after overturning a first-half deficit to defeat title rivals Ellerton 3-1 in ninth-round action at the BFA Technical Centre in Wildey on Sunday.
Brittons Hill enjoyed the bulk of possession in the opening fifteen minutes, as Kirtney Franklyn looked lively down the left hand side.
In the 27th minute, however, Ellerton were awarded a free kick just outside the Brittons Hill box on the left side, which was expertly converted by Roshon Gittens, as he buried the ball into the back of the net, leaving Brittons Hill keeper Shaquille Frank rooted to the spot.
That lead did not last, however, as Brittons Hill equalised in the 33rd minute following a corner on the right hand side. Following a flurry of shots on goal, captain T’Shane Lorde reacted quickest in the box, to prod the ball past Ellerton goalkeeper Kerry Holder with the back of his leg.
The game turned once again in the 37th minute as Ellerton defender Shane Codrington was handed a straight red card, for denying Shaquile Boyce a goal scoring opportunity, while being the last defender.
Brittons Hill went ahead in the 53 minute after Franklin controlled a long ball down the left hand side brilliantly, before slotting the ball into the back of the net.
It was his 8th goal of the season and saw him move to the top of the most goals table.
Brittons Hill added to their lead in the 64th minute when Ngozi Reid hammered a shot past goalkeeper Holder. Substitute Corey Hoyte could have made it 4-1 in the 67th minute, but his shot deflected off a defender and ballooned over the cross bar.
Despite the win, Brittons Hill coach Richard Forde says his team needs to be much more clinical .
“Very important points but I am really not too happy with the performance that we put on tonight. I think our players need to recognise that when you’re leading the game, you don’t go chasing the game.”
He continued, “You gotta let your opponents come towards you, keep the ball, maintain possession, and look for the opening spaces.”
That result saw Brittons Hill move to the top of the table for the first time this season on 19 points, with Paradise, who were not in action on Sunday, remaining second 17 points and ahead of Ellerton on goal difference.
Earlier defending champions Weymouth Wales missed the chance to top the table after being held to a 1-1 draw by Eyre’s Meat Shop Pride of Gall Hill.
Rashsad Smith gave Weymouth Wales the lead in the 8th minute, but Gall Hill’s Shakarie Mottely equalised in the 55th minute, after dribbling through the Wales midfield, before slotting in a goal under the arm of Wales goalkeeper Kishmar Primus, as he dived at full stretch to his right.
It was the fourth draw for Wales this season and they moved up to third on 16 points, while Gall Hill are now in seventh position on ten points.
Wales coach Asquith Howell is in no doubt as to where the team needs to improve.
“Yeah, all the stats will point towards or direction; possession wise we
dominate all the games that we play, but we’re not putting the ball into the back of the net and that’s the whole reality of winning championships.”
In the opening game, Bagatelle moved further away from the relegation zone with a 2-1 defeat of beleaguered Wotton. Their third win of the season saw them move up to 6th position on 11 points.
In the 47th minute as Torian Joseph capitalised on some questionable defending by Wotton, to put his side ahead. He then added another goal in the 72nd minute, to hit the back of the net for a seventh time this season.
Wotton to their credit never stopped creating chances and got an injury time consolation goal from Khalil- Vanderpool Nurse in the 91st minute.
They then struck the bar from the corner in the 8th minute of additional time, but ultimately slumped to another defeat, in what is becoming an increasingly frustrating season.
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