BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-WITH Carnival and the holiday season completed, the St. Kitts-Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) resumed its 2010 season last night (Jan. 12) with two exciting Division One matches.
The first was a highly anticipated clash between the National U-18 team and the St. Thomas/Trinity Strikers F.C. that took place at the Verchild’s Playing Field.
At the close of Division One play in December, the two squads were tied for fifth place in the overall standings with six points apiece, though the National U-18 had a narrow advantage in goal differential.
The U-18 squad moved quickly to gain control of the match last night as Kareem Williams pressed through Strikers’ defenses in minute 14 to draw first blood. Strikers wasted no time in their reply when Dornelle Bernier used a purposeful drive in minute 18 to level the score at one all.
Fans were not disappointed as both sides kept the action hot and heavy in the first half, battling back and forth in the high scoring encounter. Shaquille Pringle and Andy Samuel added a pair of goals for the U-18, while Azean James scored for Strikers in minute 29 to leave the first half at 3-2 in favor of the U-18 players.
The fast paced action continued in the second half with Strikers equalizing in minute 55 and U-18 regaining their one goal advantage five minutes later thanks to another strike by Williams.
U-18 managed to hold their lead for some time, but Strikers once again lived up to their team name in minute 80 to push the game to a 4-4 draw.
The draw leaves both teams with seven points total in the division standings, though U-18 retains its one goal advantage in the differential to maintain fifth place overall.
The second game of the evening was a much more lopsided affair at the Molineux Playing Field when Molineux F.C. obliterated the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College’s (CFBC) junior squad 5-0.
A disappointing tone was set for CFBC’s match in the 9th minute when Arden Warner knocked the ball into his team’s own goal during a clash inside the box to put them down early.
This was followed by a Molineux hat-trick before the close of the first half by Jamie Bramble in minutes 26, 32 and 34. The final nail in CFBC’s coffin came at the 53rd minute when Kimbo Rumney once again found the back of the net for Molineux to complete the blowout.
The victory was enough to push Molineux into a narrow second place lead in Zone A over Conaree Fireball International F.C., while CFBC remains near the bottom of the standings.
SKNFA Digicel Premier League play will resume tomorrow (Jan. 13) at the Newtown Playing Field where UDC Garden Hotspurs will take on the Washington Archibald High School at 6 p.m. and TDC Newtown United F.C. will faceoff against the CFBC’s senior squad at 8 p.m.
