By Morissa Lindsay
Brittons Hill and Weymouth Wales respectively got their campaigns off to a victorious start while Ellerton and Notre Dame played to a 1-1 draw on the opening day of the 2023 Barbados Football Association (BFA) Premier League season.
The league kicked off yesterday at the BFA AstroTurf in Wildey with three matches on the fixture and in the opening match of the season, Brittons Hill attacker Corey Hoyte in the 70th minute produced the lone goal of the game against Empire Club.
Meanwhile in the other two encounters that followed, Notre Dame and Ellerton played to a 1-1 draw while former league champions Weymouth Wales as expected trounced Deacons 3-1 in the night cap match.
Despite the chilly weather conditions, it was a good showing this time around for Brittons Hill who lost 3-1 against Empire the last time they met in 2020.
That lone match winning goal from Brittons Hill came about on the counterattack and a combination of touches between Ray Francis and Hoyte running upfront resulted in a well-placed finish from Hoyte for the men in red.
Empire despite being down did not give up and while they created a few goal scoring opportunities, Brittons Hill defenders and their custodian Kerry Holder were equal to the task.
In the 6 p.m. fixture, Notre Dame and Ellerton settled for a point each after their 1-1 draw. Notre Dame was the first on the score sheet with a penalty shot taken by striker Zeco Edmee in the 16th minute. Edmee, who is no stranger to playing at this level, nailed the shot into the upper left side of the goal bar.
Notre Dame captain Carl Joseph (in blue) in pursuit of possession from Ellerton attacker Shaquan Clarke as teammate Rashad Jules watched on closely.
Centre referee Adrian Goddard and his assistance on the sidelines, Tonia Deane and Ronald Cumberbatch wasted no time in making the decision. Edmee, who looked calm and composed was successful in scoring past Ellerton top class goalkeeper Jamar Brewster who was unhappy with the penalty decision made by referee Goddard.
Those celebrations by Notre Dame were short lived because a minute later (17th), Ellerton captain and danger man, Shakille Belle secured the equaliser. Belle and the newly recruited teammate Rashad Jules, a senior Barbados player who wore the captain armband on many occasions were problematic on the wing for Ellerton against Notre Dame.
Just before half-time, Belle almost made it 2-1 when he placed a shot that rolled just narrowly wide of the opened goal bar to the agony of Ellerton supporters in the stands.
As both sides tried to find the lead, it was not as easy because Ellerton had Belle and Jules running up front and possessed a solid backline that included Shane Codrington and Romelle Burgess, two seasoned players.
Notre Dame also had the ever reliable Carl Joseph wearing the captain armband doing great defensive work and the lads from Bayland also had Kevon Lucas creating some buzz around the BFA AstroTurf with his wonderfully executed dribbling skills.
Interestingly, Notre Dame was awarded a penalty in the second half, however, Lucas, tasked with taking the 12-yard spot kick was denied by Ellerton’s top goalkeeper Brewster. As the match went on chances were created but none materialised as the final whistle of referee Goddard sounded in the 90+3 minute to end the match.
In the final exchange of the night, Wales with a quality group of players that comprised several senior national players won 3-1 against Deacons.
After a goalless first half with many missed opportunities especially from Wales, that narrative was changed in the second stanza with a goal each from Romario Harewood (56th), Arantees Lawrence (79th) and Shaquille Stuart (86th).
Jamar Grazettes pulled one back in the 90th minute for the Deacons squad but it was just a little too late and definitely required a few more goals to get past a seasoned team like Wales. morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
