St Andrew Lions roared to an emphatic 4-0 victory, dismantling the Barbados Soccer Academy (BSA) with authority in a dominant display.
Ellerton FC was also in action on Sunday, edging Pro-Shottas 2-1 in a tightly contested Group A thriller of the Prime Minister’s Cup.
The Lions came out firing at Brereton, St Philip, with forward and Man of the Match Darico King striking early—capitalising on a loose ball inside the 18-yard box to open the scoring in just the second minute.
Hailing from the north of the island, St Andrew Lions kept up the pressure as midfielder Davian Clarke dribbled past BSA goalkeeper Jack Hutton, then proceeded to take the left-foot shot. Moving to his right to make the save, Hutton was again beaten by the angle.
Under the watchful eyes of referee Seth Thorne, BSA defenders Samuel Louisien, Luke Itodo, and Carlos Nichols had the task of keeping St Andrew playmakers, King, Jamari Henry on the right wing, and Davyuan Clarke on the left wing, quiet. The Lions noticeably favoured the right flank, and BSA defenders marshalling that side were kept busy.
Despite their defensive blunders, BSA managed to settle and play at a steady attacking pace against their opponents though they were unable to get shots past a relatively decent St Andrew backline that included former Paradise central defender Zeco Phillips. Accompanying Phillips at the back were Shakir Skeete and Shamario Smith.
Just before halftime, Henry stole possession from Nichols, proceeded inside the box, and brilliantly drove home a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Hutton.
St Andrew, as expected, dominated the second half, even though BSA had a few close opportunities to score. Picking up from where they left off, Lions roared again, scoring their first goal of the second half when a leading ball, played through the midfield region found Thierry Bradshaw in the 81st minute, for a clinical finish just inside the box. Once again, Hutton, consistently coming off his line, was comprehensively beaten.
The second and final matchup featuring Ellerton and Pro-Shottas also generated lots of wonderful attacking plays during the Prime Minister’s Cup, Empowering Community One Goal at a Time.
Following a successful penalty take in the 11th minute by Captain Shakille Belle, named Man of the Match, Pro-Shottas managed to equalise 1-1 through midfielder Kobe Burgess in the 60th minute. Ellerton were not phased because Belle produced an unforgettable shot from the left side of the field in the 61st minute and won the game.
Pro-Shottas had a couple of livewire moments with Daniel Best in particular, causing headaches for Ellerton goalkeeper Kerry Holder. However, Ellerton managed to secure the win.
(AS)
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