West Coast, Pro Shottas take two titles each

The domestic football season for 2018-2019 wrapped up this past weekend when the finals of the Guardian Group Youth Tournament brought down the curtain on a red-letter year for the Barbados Football Association. With all the games being played at the Wildey Turf on Saturday, when the dust finally settled Pro Shottas and West Coast both took two of the five titles up for grabs.

West Coast got their first championship of the day in the Under-9 final where they took on United Stars Alliance. Jamarco Johnson gave the winners a goal in the 13th minute. However, USA had a reply in the 25th from Rajari Rollins to see the game into penalties. From the spot, West Coast took the victory with a single goal.

Pro Shottas were guaranteed a trophy in the Under-11 final as it was an in-house squabble with Pro Shottas United coming up against Pro Shottas Spurs. With United being the A team, they rolled to a 3-0 win after Ajani Trotman racked up a hat-trick with goals in the 6th, 7th and 38th.

West Coast picked up their other title in the Under-13 division after edging out a much-improved Empire. With the sides locked at 1-1 at the break after Tyrese Carrington gave Empire the edged in the 4th and Kamari Johnson equalising in the 14th, the game rumbled to a 4-3 finish.

West Coast took the lead in the 36th when Roniko Harding put away a penalty. That though, was short-lived as Empire were back in the game again with a goal from Carrington in the very next minute. Teon Jupiter put Empire back in control in the 44th but Johnson brought the goods for West Coast again in the 49th. Now on even terms and with penalties looming, Harding delivered the game-winner in the 56th.

Kick Start were taught a tough lesson in the Under-15 finals as the Gills of Pinelands led the latter to a 3-1 win. Jamarco Gill had goals on either side of the interval to see Pinelands sitting pretty as he showed excellent skill and composure to score in the 29th and 45th minutes.

Kick Start got themselves back in the game as their star striker Khalil Vanderpool-Nurse pulled on back in the 67th. However, that would be all they could muster and Christian Gill drove the final nail in the coffin in the 70th.

Pro Shottas completed their feat in the Under-17 final, romping to a 4-0 win over an unusually-disheveled Mavericks. With cautions and substitutions running rampant in the Maverick camp, Pro Shottas remained calm and collected and built on their 1-0 lead at half-time.

Mavericks did their best to keep the Shottas in the cold for pretty much the entire first half. However, Javier Smith found a crack in the armour inside injury time and gave Pro Shottas the go-ahead in the 46th minute. At the top of the second half, Zuhri Moore converted a shot from the spot to see Pro Shottas up 2-0, but they did not stop there. Tajio James made it three in the 55th while Lemar Catlyn put the game to rest in the 87th.