Defending champions Weymouth Wales are back on top of zone one standings while Clayton’s Kola Tonic Notre Dame’s misery continues as they were pummelled 12-0 by Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme in the Barbados Football Association’s Premiership last night.
Played at the Wildey St Michael AstroTurf, Wales now on 17 points took over the number one spot ahead of University of the West Indies Blackbird (15) who lost 2-0 against Paradise in the opening out-of-zone match yesterday afternoon.
Paradise defeated UWI and their defence led by captain Barry Skeete wearing the captain’s armband did well to deny any goals from getting past his watch.
Senior national midfielders Akeel Applewhaite and Jomo Harris in the fifth and 88th minutes were the goal scorers for the Dover-based Paradise team in what was a physical game.
Shamari Mark of UWI and Mario Williams of Paradise were both red carded in the 65th minute for aggressive behaviour towards each other.
That loss by the UWI side in the opening match against Paradise allowed the two-time reigning league champions (Wales) to capitalize in the second match of the evening against Youth Milan.
Wales went ahead through attacking midfielder Romario Harewood when he outpaced the one-man defence from 25-yards and took a shot inside the 18-yard box that was beautifully slotted into the right far post of the goal bar in the 18th minute.
It did not take long for Wales to worm their way past Youth Milan’s defence yet again thanks to midfielders Rico Graham and Hadan Holligan who were like the engines that kept things flowing and six minutes later the men in green went ahead 2-0 before half-time.
Rico Graham (on the ball) played well in the midfield for Weymouth Wales as they defeated Youth Milan. (Pictures by Morissa Lindsay)
Shaquille Boyce was responsible for goal number two when Youth Milan goalkeeper Shaquille Frank was nowhere to be found and the striker Boyce left unmarked, seized the moment and scored in the 27th minute.
Youth Milan cleaned up their act and played better defensively in the second half but there was no surprise when Wales scored goal number three through striker Kemar Headley who grabbed hold of a leading ball which he controlled, shifted the goalkeeper Frank and placed the ball in the back of the nets.
The final exchange of the night was one that Notre Dame and their supporters will want to erase from their memory as they suffered one of the worse defeats in premier league history against BDFSP.
The soldiers took turns executing one shot after the other against a Notre Dame side that might be on the verge of demotion. Man-of-the-match Omani Leacock accounted for a hat-trick in the 23rd, 30th and 39th minutes. Leacock’s senior national teammate Raheim Sargeant scored a brace in the 60th and 75th along with two goals from Rasheed Williams in the 77th and 84th minutes.
Meanwhile, Antonio Arthur with the opening goal in the second minute of the game, Renaldo Trim 34th, Rashad Smith 50th, Winston Maynard 52nd and Rashad Jules 67th contributed a goal each.
Since new management joined the club for the 2019 season, Notre Dame, a long-standing team in the premier league with a quality front line that includes senior national players Zeco Edmee and Dishon ‘Eto’ Howell along with veteran Dwayne Mars have found it difficult to score goals this season.
A team that once dominated top flight football, Notre Dame just looked ordinary as BDFSP toyed with the ball and the Bayland unit coached by David Ward and Ricardo Best appeared clueless as they just stood and watched the opponents command the game in every aspect.
It was as though BDFSP were at a practice session playing by themselves as Notre Dame looked non-existent on the field.
That victory by BDFSP now places them one point (23) behind second-placed Paradise on 24 while Empire Club continue to lead the way on 24 points in zone two.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
