Kickstart Rush thrash Gall Hill to move into third

Kickstart Rush reignited their push for a top three finish as the Barbados Football Association’s Premier League season enters the home stretch.

On a night of rescheduled action at the BFA Technical Centre in Wildey on Thursday, Kickstart moved up to third on 30 points following a 4-0 victory over Eyre’s Meat Shop Pride of Gall Hill, who remained seventh on 16 points.

With the result, Brittons Hill United dropped to fourth on 29 with Ellerton one point behind in fifth position.

A Jaylan Gilkes goal saw Kickstart Rush take the lead in the 41st minute, but the Wildey-based team was rampant in the second half, with additional  goals from Nathan Skeete in the 57th minute, Jamarco Johnson in the 68th and Romario Drakes in the 85th minute completing the rout.

It was a second straight defeat for Gall Hill, who are completing their second season back in the top league.

In the nightcap game, UWI Blackbirds won for a second straight game as they defeated Wotton 2-1 in an encounter that featured a dramatic finish.

Wotton took the lead in the 52nd minute through Amari Small, before Shaine Hermas equalised for UWI in the 74th minute. 

Wotton, who are already assured of demotion to Division One next season, opted to chase just their third win of a tough season in the final moments, with goalkeeper Raheem Agard joining his teammates in a final attack after Kickstart conceded a corner in the 95th minute.

However, while pressing for the winning goal, Wotton lost possession and the ball fell to Teon Cadogan, who scored a spectacular long range goal for UWI from well inside his own half with the Wotton goalie still missing.

The win saw UWI move up to 19 points and sixth position in what has been an inconsistent season marked by a number of squad departures.

The penultimate weekend of action gets underway at Wildey on Sunday, with defending champions Weymouth Wales on 34 points, being chased all the way by Paradise on 33, Kickstart Rush third on 30 and fourth placed Brittons Hill United on 29.

In the opening game, Kickstart will be aiming for another critical three points when they tackle relegation bound St Andrew Lions at 4 p.m. 

Should Kickstart lose their game, Brittons Hill have the opportunity to reclaim third position when they face Wotton at 6 p.m. To their credit, Wotton has shown no signs of surrender despite being assured of relegation. As a result, Brittons Hill could be in for a tricky encounter.

Wales will face UWI Blackbirds at 8 p.m., knowing that they are three victories away from retaining their title. Both teams have had to contend with major changes to their match day squads all season due to injuries and departures, but Wales will be favoured to win.

To add another layer of intrigue, a bush fire in the area last Sunday means that Wales will meet Kickstart in a rescheduled game, while Paradise and Brittons Hill also have to clash in a crucial rescheduled match.

(KH)