Upsets continue in Premier League
The 2020 season of the Coca Cola Premier League seems to be one of glorious uncertainties as things may not go as expected. With one major upset coming in this past weekend’s games on Saturday night as leaders Weymouth Wales were stunned by the St. Andrew Lions, there were two more on Sunday night as action resumed at the Wildey Turf.
With Paradise FC starting as hot as they did and leading the league for the first few weeks and with Empire having such an abysmal commencement to their season, anyone would have predicted that a win would be on the books for the new-look Dover side. However, there were other things in store in the nightcap game as Empire led all the way through, even after losing one of the defensive lynchpins as the minutes dropped off the clock.
Empire picked up the lead in the 42nd minute when they were gifted a penalty which Argentine transfer Luciano Cigno put cleanly away. In the second half, Jaheim Neblett doubled up for Empire in the 66th minute to leave Paradise in a world of pain.
They would pull one back in the 78th through the efforts of Shackiel Henry, however, even with the dismissal of Omar Primus in the 84th minute – something that can almost always be counted on – Paradise were unable to get the better of Empire, allowing them to get up to fifth in the standings.
The other shocker on the night came when 2019 Capelli Cup losing-finalists Ellerton failed to impress against top-flight debutantes Deacons FC. One unanswered goal on either side of the break was the St. George side’s undoing to see them now in ninth place.
Keon Atkins was the one to draw first blood in the 35th minute while Shaquan Haynes added the second in the 64th minute to secure the 2-0 win. This sees them in sixth place in the standings.
The only game that went as expected was a 3-0 routing of Wotton FC by the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme. The defending champions were comprehensive in their victory with Nicholas Best securing a brace with goals in the 19th and 36th to see the soldiers with a 2-0 lead at half time.
The Sports Programme gave Wotton a lesson in class as they remained resolute despite losing Ja’von Austin to a red card in the 71st minute. The Christ Church side were unable to find a chink in the armour and even gave up another goal at their end when Stefon Elliot rocked the nets in the 91st.
The soldiers edged closer to the top of the table with this win as they remain the only unbeaten team on 15 points. Wotton on the other hand, stayed stagnant on nine points and now sit in seventh.