BLACK Panthers held on to a 2-1 advantage to clinch the SLFA Inc. Under-17 Championship title over Northern United, in the finals at the Desruisseaux Playing Field, last Saturday.
The game was filled with high intensity and good quality play as the teams turned up the hype and excitement playing on a neatly surfaced artificial turf, which added more glamour to the junior football league.
John Wilfred opened the scoring for the ‘Sulphur City’ lads in the 25’, and held on to the advantage going into the break, though Northern United attempted to come good on some scoring chances.
Northern United kept pressing to level the score and in the 45’, Samaiel Louisien got the equalizer, converting with a right-footer.
With the momentum picking up as the match progressed, national player Eymani “Eymo” Butcher was instrumental in pushing his team ahead. The 17-year-old, Student Athlete of the Year, demonstrated his goal-scoring prowess as he coolly got onto a long ball and chipped it ever so deftly past the onrushing goalkeeper, into the nets in the 56’, for Black Panther to surge ahead.
Eymani has been the leading goal scorer in the U17 competition with a tally of 14 goals.
To start off last Saturday’s double-header affair, the Third Place Playoff featured Uptown Rebels vs. Valley Soccer Academy (VSA).
VSA stole the show as they tilted the balance from being two goals down, to outplay Uptown Rebels and level the score at 2all, and then go on to win the penalty kicks tussle.
The game was filled with excitement and loyal fans of the respective teams and other spectators, including a very youthful contingent of supporters thoroughly enjoyed an enthralling measure of offensive play.
Teshawn Walters propelled Uptown Rebels into the lead, scoring in the 35’ and 42’; before VSA hit back with goals from Jahbari Charles in the 43’ and Rawson Harris in the 77’.
In the dreadful penalty shootout, the score favoured VSA as they swept past Uptown Rebels 6-5 for a victory.
Although the Uptown custodian displayed some remarkable skills, the team’s strikers could not complete the job. But, all in all, it was a good display from the young men between the uprights demonstrating some good goalkeeping skills.
At the post match interview, Black Panthers captain Kurt Calixte told Voice Sports that he has embraced the leadership role from his early days with the club and has led the team to winning a District League Football Tournament.
After emerging as finalists in last year’s competition, he said, his side was yearning for a victory.
On preparations for this final, Calixte declared: “We like to work with each, we play around each other and putting what the coach has taught us into practice so the sportsmanship is always there with us.”
On Eymani’s performance as a ‘star-striker’ he said, “He’s of great importance to the team, he is one of our main strikers and we trust him a lot and have full confidence in him, because we know his capabilities and if we give him the ball, he can always execute for us.”