Charlery & Benjamin steer St Lucia to Nations Cup glory!
Not for the first time during the day and night did the game proved more attritional than spectacle, but at least there was the drama of yet another penalty shoot out before the St Lucian players, family and friends claimed the trophy and the winner’s cheque of $1600.
After a stalemate, St Vincent took a 1-0 lead in the shoot out but Ranalie Caines then hit the post and then proving a unbreakable force in the competition, Goalkeeper of the Tournament, Benjamin Camille made a super save, this time from Venton James, to hand the advantage back to St Lucia. After MVP Bryan Charlery and Bradley Henry had both sent Monty Butler the wrong way and scored, it came down to the wire. St Vincent scored to leave Marlon Wilton facing a do or die scenario.
The crowd hushed as he strode up and slotted home as calm as you like past the helpless Butler to give St Lucia the win and send the crowd into renewed foot stomping and dancing fervor.
Like so many around the world that have featured the two top teams and been billed as something not to miss, the final itself was a scrappy affair with both teams moaning and groaning about almost every little incident. To be fair though they were all playing with tired legs and tired minds at the end of a physically draining feast of football.
The Tournament itself had run smoothly once it got going and the crowd, that gradually swelled as the day wore on, was treated to some fine football.
To give the players a little breather, Dawn Crabbe-Herbert and her band of co-organisers arranged a short exhibition game between the Virgin Gorda Girls and their Tortola counterparts.
Birthday Girl Sally St Catherine scored VG’s opener and then Makeda Fahie notched what she described as the best goal of her life when she fired home from almost the right hand side corner post. The ball flew over and past the goalkeeper to nestle in the top left hand corner.
In the semi finals, St Lucia had put paid to the run of the Virgin Islands, but not without facing their sternest challenge of the day.
Devon Lettene put the local boys ahead in the first half and it looked like proving the winner until a late equalizer forced the game into yet another bout of penalties. Andy Davis missed his penalty kick and Camille saved Carlos Septus and Nigel Charlemagne’s before Troy Cesar scored to record the only successful kick in a 3-1 defeat for the Virgin Islands.
Valdo Andersen finally got on the score sheet for St Vincent in the other semi final, first latching on to a Rohan Lenon through ball to lob over the keeper and then the same combination linked up for his second. Frances Primo pulled one back for Guyana before Lenon rounded off a great performance with the third goal for the Vincentians.
The first game of a long long day under a strength sapping sizzling sun saw defending Nations Cup champions, St Vincent completely dominate the Virgin Islands team but failed to break the deadlock by the final whistle. Maxcell Dabreo made a string of acrobatic saves to keep the Vincentians at bay and was only nearly beaten following a mix up with Davis that saw the defender steer the ball just past his own post. At the other end, Butler was rarely troubled but had to be at his most alert to recover his ground and save at the feet of William Green.
The penalty shoot out went to St Vincent 4-2 after Jamie Brown and Fladimir Septus both missed for the Virgin Islands.
The tournament’s second game saw Guyana beat Jamaica 1-0 thanks to a goal from Francis Primo and there was another surprise in store in the next game when St Lucia announced their arrival with a 1-0 victory over St Vincent with an early strike from Charlery.
More drama unfolded in the 4th game when the Virgin Islands team more than matched Jamaica, surviving the red card issued to Fladimir Septus, nearly winning the game in regulation time through Browne, who should have at least hit the target with a guilt edged chance and going onto win 4-2 on penalties.
Chevaughn Williams and Fitzroy Daley both missed for Jamaica whilst Davis, Cesar, Shamoy Thompson and Carlos Septus all scored for the Virgin Islands.
St Lucia then produced the most clinical display of the day in cruising past Guyana 3-0.
Guyanese goalkeeper Stephen D’Andrade misjudged a cross from the left and left defender Reuben Stoby with no choice but to hold his head in his hands as the loose ball bounced off his knee into the empty net to open the scoring. Collie Mickle had a golden opportunity to level the score, but fired high and wide from a good position and Charlery made him pay dearly doubling the St Lucian lead moments later.
Charlery scored his second from the penalty spot to make it 3-0 after he was fouled by Mervyn Dainty.
Jamaica then had one last chance to stay in the competition, needing a win against St Vincent. However, they suffered an immediate set back when Rushedo Robinson was adjudged to have brought down Jenry Ollivierre in the penalty box and Ranalie Cains made no mistake from 12 yards, beating Erron Ewers with pace and precision.
Jamaica were lucky not to go 2-0 down when Atebe Creese couldn’t make up his mind to use his head or his foot in front of an open goal and having chosen his foot managed to miss. Kenmore Simmons had provided the opportunity following a surging run down the left flank.
Briteton Douglas almost leveled the game, but failed to get a touch as the ball flashed across the St Vincent’s 6 yard box. Ewers made a fine save from St Elmore Badnard Garroway, but Noel Isaacs secured a 2-0 win for St Vincent with a fine header following Essian St Hillarie’s corner.
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