Wales pull out all the stops in Game 4

IT rained goals in the Barbados Football Association Premier League this past Sunday and Weymouth Wales had a starring role in the night’s proceedings. Playing in the night-cap game at the Wildey Turf, the 2017 triple-crown champions gave themselves a decent send-off to the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield this week with a 4-2 win over Clayton’s Kola Tonic Notre Dame after coming from a goal down.

With the Dames eyeing the top spot in that group, they broke the ice in the 30th minute to take the lead. Aaron Leacock stood over a free-kick out on the right flank before sending the ball in to meet the head of Zeco Edmee for a brilliant finish.

The teams would go into the half-time break on equal terms as the defending champions pulled one back just minutes shy of the whistle. National team midfielder, Hadan Holligan, was on the attack when he was brought down in the box and a penalty awarded to Wales. Romario Harewood stepped up to the spot and put the ball in the right ‘V’ over the Dames’ custodian, Shakib Kellman.

In the second half, Wales took the lead in the 67th with the first of two goals from Arantees Lawrence. However, things would be level once again when Antone Greaves got a beautiful through-ball from Azarel Croney, which beat three players. Greaves’ finish whipped the fans into a frenzy as he beat the ball to the left of Omari Eastmond, who was well off his line.

In the 80th, Lawrence tipped the scales for Wales when he found himself on the other end of a Hadan Holligan cross from the right. If that wasn’t enough, all the wind was knocked from the Dames’ sails three minutes later as Kemar Headley, fresh off the bench, drove the final nail in the coffin. A long, pinpoint pass from Rashida Williams was sent through the air directly to the foot of the unmarked Headley out on the left, and he easily finished his drive on the left flank to beat the ball home with his left foot.

The evening got started with a 2-0 result in favour of Paradise over Empire Club. With the first goal of the game coming from Dario Harewood in the 12th minute, Paradise captain Armando Lashley added a second in the 75th when Amal Mayers stole the ball off the feet of a backing Omando McLeod to feed Lashley from the middle. With just one defender on his back and an advancing Christopher Williams at his front, Lashley pushed the ball to the nets with his left boot.

The middle game between Mark’s Auto Spares Porey Spring and the University of the West Indies Blackbirds saw both teams leaving the venue with a point each after a 2-2 draw. Jamario Worrell opened the scoring in the 11th minute to give UWI the lead into the break. Shaquille Stewart evened things out at the top of the second half in the 49th minute.

The Blackbirds went back up in the 72nd through a defensive slip up that saw an own-goal beating Porey Spring keeper, Anthony Rollins. However, they pulled another back in the 85th from Raymond Hope.

The league continues tonight with a double-header at the Turf. Brittons Hill and Abrahams United have a date in the first game at 7 p.m. while Rendezvous FC and Crane and Equipment Ellerton lock horns in the night-cap at 9 p.m.