Rural rumble

The heroics of most valuable player and six-foot-tall goalkeeper Amari Browne accompanied with a goal each from captain Tashay Jones and Tajani White led All Saints Primary to their maiden football championship trophy today.

The St. Peter-based All Saints Primary team topped zone one and went on to lift the title this afternoon at the National Stadium with a 2-0 victory over group three winners A DaCosta Edwards Primary, in the National Sports Council’s BICO-sponsored Primary Schools Football Final.

Victorious coach Barrington Harewood was overjoyed with the performance of his team and credited the parents for being so helpful.

“I am speechless. Don’t even have a voice right now, all the shouting I did today. The boys as you can see are excited, the girls (netballers) that are here, staff members, people from the community. It is a great feeling to take this back to the North. I had some help from the parents Dwayne Griffith and Dane Barrow. Whenever I called practice they were there to help me, so I think that really made the difference,” said Harewood who was also full of praise for lanky goalkeeper Browne.

“He was outstanding all year, not just in football, track and field, cricket, he had an outstanding year.”

The 11-year-old Browne who will be wearing the Alleyne School uniform in September conceded just one goal for the entire competition and this was against Arthur Smith Primary. He was listed among five other outstanding players in this year’s competition.

Those outstanding players were goalkeeper Donche Blackman of A DaCosta Edwards Primary, top defender Tiago Barrow of All Saints Primary, the best midfielder Ajani Ashby of Milton Lynch Primary, highest goal-scorer Shavari Greenidge-Lewis of St. Jude’s Primary (13) and most outstanding female Aria Weekes of Blackman and Gollop Primary.

All Saints Primary’s captain Tashay Jones scored the opener for the first time finalists when he got the final touch off a corner taken by Jiere Gibbons from the right closest to the Barbados Lumber Company end in the tenth minute.

A few minutes later and A DaCosta Edwards almost equalized but a double save by goalkeeper Browne denied the Damien Goring-coached side that opportunity.

A minute before halftime All Saints Primary (nine wins and one loss for the tournament) almost extended their lead when Tiago Borrow drew a foul given by center referee Frank Holder and from 18 yards out nearly scored with a shot that went just over the crossbar.

As they did so well throughout the match, All Saints Primary were penetrative and six minutes into the half they attempted two shots at goal which were well taken by A DaCosta Edwards’ outstanding goalkeeper Donche Blackman.

A DaCosta Edwards found it difficult to string together effective passes but Javonte Mayers and Marshall teamed up for an attempted goal which sent goalkeeper Amari Browne diving low to his right to deny the effort.

However, All Saints Primary having toiled so purposefully were rewarded with goal number two which came in the 39th minute compliments Tajani White with a strong finish off a lovely Dave Griffith assist made from the left side closest to the Netball Stadium.

Speaking after the championship match, teacher and coach at A DaCosta Edwards, Damien Goring, gave God thanks after his team reached the final and were also adjudged the most improved school with assistance from football coaches Dexter Marshall and Winston Griffith.

“It was a hard-fought match, both sides of the half. All Saints got an early goal which set us back but we tried to come back and fight in the second half and I guess we tried to go for broke and go forward to tie it which we nearly did. But in the end, it put us a little short in the back which we were unable to seal it for their win,” Goring said.

Last year’s champions Grantley Prescod Memorial Primary won the third-place match 2-0 against West Terrace Primary with a goal each from Karim Wade and Jean Pierre-Marville.

A total of 319 matches were played, 90 were drawn, there was an average of 2.4 goals per game with Providence Elementary scoring the most goals of 11 in one contest while the overall total of goals scored was 752.

The most disciplined school was Ifill School and the Fair Play Award was captured by Trinity Academy while Eden Lodge Primary scored the most goals of 31 in the competition.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb