Just like the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a few interesting results materialized on the final weekend of the Barbados Football Association's Premier League season.
Yesterday was the final opportunity for teams to cash in on three points before the league's playoffs to decide the champions. These will take place next Sunday, July 8 at the BFA's Wildey, St Michael AstroTurf.
Reigning kings and zone one leaders Weymouth Wales progressed to 44 points having narrowly defeated University of the West Indies Blackbirds 1-0 in the nightcap match.
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Weymouth Wales’ striker Arantees Lawrence (with the header) scored the lone goal against University of the West Indies Blackbirds to keep up the defending champions’ momentum.[/caption]
Former national captain Arantees Lawrence produced the winner in the 26th minute with a magnificent header that stemmed off a Walton Burrowes square that was steered towards the far post where the dangerous Lawrence was positioned.
All three games played yesterday were out of zone encounters and in the opening game, zone two leaders and former three-time champions Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme lost 0-3 to Brittons Hill.
Those three points have now increased Brittons Hill's total to 29, but they remain third in that zone one standing behind Paradise who won by a mammoth 10-0 margin against Waterford Compton to advance to 32 points and the second place.
Donte Greenidge, Denzil Fordyce and Norrin Corbin, all contributed to that 3-0 victory for Brittons Hill with goals in the 27th, 66th and 89th minutes respectively to hand BDFSP their second straight defeat having lost their previous encounter to Paradise last week.
With respect to Paradise, the Kenville Layne-coached side continue to impress producing another big win with their captain and national attacking midfielder Armando 'Suga' Lashley at the forefront of their enterprise. Lashley netted a whopping five goals and there was a beaver-trick from Chai Lloyd and one from Ackeel Applewhaite in their 10-goal feast.
It was literally open season for Paradise as Lashley struck goals in the 30th, 31st, 41st, 56th and 71st minutes respectively. Lloyd had his moments in the fourth, ninth, 32nd and 44th minutes while Applewhaite's lone goal came as early as the 10th minute.
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Paradise striker Chai Lloyd (second left) scored a beaver-trick to help his team thrash Waterford Compton 10-0 yesterday.(Pictures by Morissa Lindsay)[/caption]
Wales, Paradise, Brittons Hill along with Empire who came from behind to win 4-3 on Saturday night against Ellerton Football Club to move on to 26 points in fourth position, are all secured in zone one. Only the bottom two teams, Clayton's Kola Tonic Notre Dame on 24 in fifth place (second last) and Silver Sands in sixth on 11 points are facing relegation.
Similarly, in zone two, all teams have played a total of 16 games and BDFSP remain on top with 35 points. UWI continue to maintain that second spot on 30 while Ellerton and Porey Spring are on 21 and nine points respectively in third and fourth.
That now leaves Waterford Compton in fifth to face Notre Dame in the relegation match that will determine which out of those two teams will stay alive. Meanwhile, Rendezvous who are bottom of zone two have minus five and have no chance of staying in the premier league.
On Saturday, Notre Dame managed to score an impressive 7-1 win over Porey Spring. But it was not enough to avoid that imminent relegation match.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
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