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21st January 2010
Soufriere and Castries Central Final

Host Soufriere and visitors Central Castries moved into the final of the St.Lucia Football Association Under-19 Football Championship with 2-0 win at the weekend against Gros Islet and Canaries under -19’s respectively in a double header that was played at the Soufriere Mini Stadium.
Central Castries 60th and 82nd minute goals were just enough as they went on to put the issue beyond doubt after regulation time despite dominating possession in the opening half with a one-touch scheme. The two teams lacked creativity in the mid – field area, and to add insult to injury like previous encounters played earlier in the Tournament, the strikers failed to convert the numerous scoring opportunities offered to them.
The City boys decked in their Florida orange top and black shorts certainly did not look close to a shadow of themselves when the tournament started, but as the encounter progressed they happened to capitalize on a number of unforced errors that were made by the Canaries team. At the half time whistle of referee Fitzgerald Popo the scores were locked at 0 – 0.
On the resumption of the second half a further 150 spectators coming into the stadium saw some kind of urgency by both teams. In the 60th minute things started to happen for Castries as an Emery Edward header eluded the Canaries goalkeeper from 6 yards out from a free kick to take a 1 – 0 lead, while Central Castries Captain # 7 Kamal Thompson continuing on his good run of form made it 2 - 0 in the 82nd minute from the penalty spot after a Canaries defender botched a clearance attempt, allowing referee Fitzgerald Popo to award a penalty.
The boys from the West coast pressured Central Castries on several occasions in the remaining minutes of the encounter, but just could not convert as the experienced Central Castries defence was up to the task. Canaries clearest opportunity came in the 58th minute when a shot was deflected from a corner kick, as the player headed it over the cross bar.
 
 

Meanwhile, the lack of indiscipline on the field of play raised it ugly head again in local football in St.Lucia as three players from the Canaries team were red carded by Referee Popo. Jervin Felix, Dennison Mauricette and Eden Albert received their marching orders from the square leaving Canaries with eight players on.
It was a similar fashion of victory in the second encounter. From my vantage point it was also the better of the two matches played on the square, as host Soufriere was made to fight the hardest by Gros Islet despite the visitors going down 2 – 0.
Goals from # 14 Ned Etan in the 40th and # 9 Eric Francois in the 70th minute secured the win and started the celebration. Soufriere’s first goal was a real classic as Ned Etan well taken free kick some 35 yards out eluded the Gros Islet custodian despite making a valiant attempt to save it from entering, Eric Francois scored the home team’s second goal that came via the penalty route after Gros Islet apparently succumb to a number of goal raids and relentless pressure.
The 2 – 0 defeat of Gros Islet really does not tell how competitive they were on the afternoon, but after squandering four easiest of chances in a short space of time it does tell the true story of the ding dong battle in the dying moment of the match. At the end the Gros Islet team and its Technical staff will have themselves to blame for not going into the final versus Central Castries on Sunday.

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