There is a keen challenge unfolding in the St Lucia Football Association [SLFA] Inc. respective league competitions as the contest intensifies with the preliminary round matches in progress.
Northern United and Uptown Rebels lead the points table in the Division I championships, with Monchy United in close pursuit.
On Thursday, Northern United and Monchy FC played to a 1-all draw in a tight game played at the Phillip Marcellin Grounds [PMG], in Vieux Fort.
Aaron Richard scored for Monchy in the 55th min, while Cassius Joseph equalized for Northern in the 63rd min.
Also at the PMG; El Ninos FC beat Ti Rocher FC 3-2 to earn a hard-fought victory. Lance Sammy put Ti Rocher ahead in the 5th minute and Quan Joseph followed up with a 33rd min. goal to send their team 2-up.
But El Ninos fought back diligently to offset the initiative. Dwight Preudhomme, Keyon Emmanuel, and Brad Bideau with conversions in the 42nd, 63rd, and 71st min respectively helped tilt the balance in favour of their team.
At the Soufriere Mini Stadium, Victory Eagles beat Platinum FC 3-2, in what sports pundits deemed an ‘upset victory’. Taking into account the might and reputation of the Platinum FC side, the Eagles were able to counterbalance their more highly ranked opponents as they fought back relentlessly for the win.
Scoring for Victory Eagles was Bashion Classe in the 67th minute, Jonathan Aliene in the 76th minute and Bobby Emmanuel in the 5th minute of added-on time.
Platinum FC got their goals from Trent Alexander 22nd minute and Kurt Frederick in the 3rd minute of added-on time.
Uptown Rebels and GMC United drew 2-all in another tough challenge; with Yod Fevrier and Shanoi Evans scoring for Uptown, while Sherman Augustin got a brace for GMC United.
An update of the points tally in the two respective SLFA competitions is as follows:
Division One:
Northern United – 11 pts
Uptown Rebels – 11 pts
Monchy United – 10 pts
VSADC – 10 pts
Platinum FC – 9 pts
BI FC – 9 pts
The leading goal scorers are Keegan Caul of VSADC with 8 goals, followed by Donavan Jn Baptiste – Uptown Rebels with 7, Aramis Gilbert and Tev Lawrence – Monchy United with 6. Aaron Richard – Monchy U, Marvi Rismay, and Dwight Preudhomme – El Ninos FC have 4 goals each.
Division Two:
Bays FC – 13 pts
1987 All Stars – 12 pts
Black Panthers – 9 pts
Piton Travel Young Stars – 8 pts
Knights FC – 5 pts
The leading goal scorers are Mac Arthur Louis – 1987All Stars 9, followed by Nick Longville – Bays FC 8, Ridel Stanislaus – Piton Travel Young Stars 4, and Zidane Augustin -1987 All Stars and Jamie Prospere – Piton Travel Young Stars with 3 each.
Results of Division Two matches played this week are as follows:
1987 All-Stars vs. National U-17 7-4,
Lancers vs. Young Stars 1-0,
Bays FC vs. Knights 2-0,
Togetherness Youth vs. New Generation 2-2.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Saint Lucia alongside several other countries withdrew from the CONCACAF Girls Under-15 tournament in Miami, due to their inability to obtain visa appointments.
However, according to an SLFA spokesperson, the St Lucia Gems are scheduled to participate in the Jewels of the Caribbean Invitational Girls Tournament, to be held in Antigua and Barbuda. The Gems are due to depart for Antigua on August, 11 and return on August, 20.
The participating teams are Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Trinidad and Tobago, and host Antigua and Barbuda.
In other developments, preparations continue for the Under-14 Boys Challenge Series, scheduled for the Dominican Republic. This tournament runs from August 11 to 22.
St. Lucia is placed in Tier 2 of Group 3 together with Cayman Islands, Grenada, and Martinique.
The top team advances to the Cross Group Playoffs with the top four in for the semifinals while the qualifiers play for the Championship title.
In the meantime, the curtains will come down in the La Clery Football League Parliamentary Cup – on Sunday (August 7).
Bisee takes on Active Strikers in the finals of the competition; while Veterans play against Radics United in the Third Place Play-Offs. – By Reginald Andrew