GROS ISLET beat La Clery 1-0 in a tightly contested affair as Saint Lucia’s inaugural Semi-Professional Football League [SPFL] kicked off at the Mindoo Phillip Park [MPP], on Sunday.
It was a gripping Tier I match that gripped the attention of a lively Sunday afternoon crowd of football fans and sports enthusiasts – with two of the top senior league teams going all out in the contest.
And from the onset, the opposing sides definitely went at it with vigour and intent. But it was Baggio Edward (#21) who found the nets early, in the 5’, with a superb shot from the left flank that zipped past the goalkeeper into the far corner.
From this moment on, the match was played fervently with a flurry of counter attacks from both sides and expectant fans eagerly anticipating another goal to add to the drama that unfolded.
Despite being a goal down, La Clery did not lay back but got right into the thick of things with some adventurous moves on goal. And though their offensive play was sometimes riveting, the city lads missed out on that elusive goal and on a few occasions were off target from good goal scoring chances.
When the pressure mounted, Gros Islet defended stoutly and the compact formation of the ‘back four’ blocked out La Clery’s menacing advances on goal. Gros Islet’s central defender Sebastien Ribot was pivotal in the defense and held the team together to overcome La Clery’s offensive flurry.
The northern-based side showed their mettle with grit and determination to counter the attacks, while also demonstrating their prowess on the quick breaks and attempts at goal.
The two northern-based teams were the winners for the opening encounters.
In the prior Tier II match, Babonneau edged past Marchand 1-0 to pique ahead of the home team in a balanced game that most times got too crowded in the middle with players not utilising their wide positions.
Marchand appeared to take some time to settle down, as Babonneau made some searching runs to goal. In a determined bid to outdo each other, the teams launched into a late offensive mode to gain the initiative.
But, from the start, Babonneau had looked the more threatening of the two sides. And as the minutes ticked off, they seized on the opportunity inside the box, Malyk Athanase (#20) latched onto a ball and blasted it into the back of the nets, in the 90+4’of added time.
With time running out, it was all down to the close of a day’s work for the Babonneau posse, as they savoured victory in the opening round match of this season’s SPFL competition.