Headley scores crucial goal on historic night in Premier League

On a record-breaking night in the Barbados Football Association’s Premier League on Sunday that saw 32 goals being scored in three games, Kemar Headley’s lone goal for Weymouth Wales might prove to be the most memorable.

Headley’s stoppage time winner helped the defending champions edge UWI Blackbirds 1-0 and extend their lead at the top of the table to four points with two rounds of matches remaining.

Playing in the nightcap game at the Wildey AstroTurf, UWI frustrated Wales for 90 minutes, with the heavily favoured team from Carrington Village continuing to find goals hard to come by this season.

In fact, it was UWI who had the best chance to break the deadlock in the second half but Rojae Collins shot wide.

For the fourth consecutive game Wales needed a late winner, and this time it came from Headley, who reacted best after a free kick in the 91st minute to set off wild celebrations.

With the result, Wales moved to 37 points, four more than second placed Paradise, who have a game in hand. Kickstart Rush also have 33 points, having played one more game then Paradise, while Brittons Hill United are fourth on 32 points.

Wales coach Asquith Howell was delighted that his team managed to grind out another win.

He said he expects their remaining games to be similarly challenging.

“It will go down to the wire and we just keep telling the players that we have to push if we want to win another championship and we want to play in the CFU Club Championship again,” Howell told Barbados TODAY in an interview.

Howell was also full of praise for Headley, who he described as a key member of the team.

“Kemar is a senior player in this team. This season we asked him to play at center back, right back, several positions, but he went forward today in an attacking role and he came through for Wales. He’s phenomenal especially when representing Wales, and he loves to win,” the head coach said.

The day’s two earlier encounters produced a mind boggling 31 goals, with Kickstart Rush thrashing a shorthanded St Andrew Lions 23-0 in the first game, while Brittons Hill demolished Wotton 8-0.

In the standout performance of the day, Jamarco Johnson scored eight goals as Kickstart registered the biggest margin of victory in the history of the Premier League.

The national Under-17 player gave further notice of his abundant talent, playing the role of chief destroyer against the already relegated Lions. 

After beginning the game three men short and playing the duration of the game without a full complement of players, Lions conceded ten goals by halftime and a further 13 during the second period amid shocking scenes.

Romario Drakes joined the party with a beaver-trick, while there were two apiece for Jadon Cave, Trekyle Alleyne-Callender and Ethan Squires. Nathan Skeete, Carl Hinkson, Caleb Went and Je-Dane Griffith also got their names on the scoresheet to go along with an own goal from Lions.

Kickstart Rush coach Renaldo Gilkes credited his team for remaining focused as they chase a second top-three finish in three years.

“Yeah, it was a record breaking evening for the fellas, I mean, who doesn’t like to score goals, right? We’re going to try to take this title challenge all the way down to the final day and we have two more games left against formidable opponents in Wales and Paradise.

“We intend to go back to the training ground, focus on some details and will definitely give it our best going into the final days,” Gilkes said.

In the remaining match, St Vincent and the Grenadines’ international Kirtney Franklin found the back of the nets on seven occasions for Brittons Hill against a hapless Wotton side that has also already been relegated.

Franklin was ruthless and his performance ensured that last year’s runners up kept pace with the top three teams. T’shane Lorde scored the other goal for Brittons Hill.

Franklin now has a league leading 18 goals and Brittons Hill manager Fabian Wharton was elated with the result.

“We just need to win all of our games. We’ve got two more to go, two difficult ones against Paradise and Ellerton, and then see how the cookie crumbles.

“It’s very tight among the four of us at the top, so we just have to do what we have to do and then see how it goes,” Wharton said.

Premier League action continues on Tuesday as Paradise tackle Ellerton, and Bagatelle oppose Eyre’s Meat Shop Pride of Gall Hill.

(KH)