MACKESON Brittons Hill gave another stout performance on Saturday night to close the gap on Digicel Premier League leaders Barbados Defence Force (BDF) to just one point.
Brittons Hill avenged a first round loss to their neighbours Dayrells Road with a 6-2 drubbing in the first game of a double header at the Wildey Football AstroTurf.
The victory carried Brittons Hill, who have now played 11 matches, to 22 points, one fewer than BDF, who have a game in hand.
Two players scored hat-tricks – Arantees Lawrence, with goals in the 20th, 39th and 53rd minutes, and lanky Hendy Richards (22nd, 50th and 81st).
Dayrells Road actually took an early fifth-minute lead, courtesy of a goal by defender Corey Taitt, but a resolute Brittons Hill stormed back to lead 3-1 at half-time.
Two goals in the space of four minutes, including a Lawrence penalty, saw Brittons Hill extend the lead to 5-1.
Dayrells Road got a respite as Lawrence was replaced by Walton Burrowes after 60 minutes.
Tristan “Fishy” Parris converted a consolation penalty in the 78th minute which was awarded by referee Royon Small after Brittons Hill’s defender Jermaine Ceasar was ejected for a second bookable offence.
PARADISE 3, SONNETS 0
DirecTV Paradise comfortably defeated lowly Families First St John Sonnets 3-0 with central defender Tito Beckles scoring twice in the 68th and 87th minutes after striker Kenny Sealy opened the scoring in the 37th minute.
Paradise, with national Under-17 coach Kenville “Kab” Layne directing team strategy for the first time since the season 2007 when he brought them back to the Premiership after they were relegated, looked a more organized outfit as they concentrated on passing the ball around and creating chances.
Significantly, 16-year-old Harrison College schoolboy Sebastian Hunte, the Barbados Under-17 vice-captain, who had been on the bench for the last couple of matches, was given his debut match at this level.
He started in a five-man midfield, alongside the experienced Kent Hall, Trevor “Taz” Mayers, Jomo Harris, and Kodi Mark.
The packed Paradise midfield controlled the game, outclassing Sonnets’ quartet of Damien Husbands, Jefferson White, Wade Garner and the diminutive Zico Mascoll.
After Sealy’s opening strike, Mayers inexplicably headed wide from a left-side cross by Hall with only Sonnets’ goalkeeper Bernard Howell to beat.
But Sonnets still showed their worth and with a little bit more belief should have found the nets a couple of times.
Jason King came closest to scoring when his firm shot was blocked by Paradise’s goalkeeper Jason Boxhill after a good build-up with Garner and Mascoll.
But Beckles knocked the fight out of Sonnets – who were forced to play the entire match with 11 men, with just one ailing player on the substitutes’ bench – when he tucked in a rebound at back post after Howell initially parried a near post shot by Sealy from an Andre Bourne free-kick.
An unmarked Beckles headed home his second goal after a cross by Hall from a quickly taken short corner, but Paradise, even with free legs in Armando Lashley and Rakim Lashley joining the fray, couldn’t add to their tally.
