The Barbados Soccer Academy (BSA) reigned supreme last Saturday evening at the National Stadium.
BSA captured three of the five Banks Tiger Malt titles.
Claiming victories in the under-13, under-15 and Under-17 divisions.
In the under 13 final BSA came from behind to defeat Pinelands 2-1. Pinelands went ahead in the 24th minute through a Ronaldo Graham right foot drive. BSA, with an array of talented athletes in their line up, equalised in the 34th minute courtesy a strike from Rajohn Hawksworth, the son of former National midfielder John Hawksworth. Jade Chandler snatched the winner in the 58th minute to give the BSA cup No. 1.
The Under-15 final was not as exciting as the Under-13 but the result was the dominant factor, as BSA showed tremendous character to defeat nemesis Kick Start 2-1, with strikes coming from Daquan Marshall in the 19th minute and Nicholas Jones in the 39th.
The main attraction was the under-17 Championship, which featured another BSA-Kick Start clash.
BSA were seeking revenge, after Kick Start were responsible for their failure to qualify for the finals of the recently concluded Barbados Cup.
Kick Start were off the mark the quickest and a good move within the first five minutes saw a cross from the left glanced off the head of the powerful Joseph Tingey, who should have done better after being left unmarked in the centre of the box.
BSA’s attacks were lead mostly through the robust and industrious Jomo Harris, who threw his weight around and threaded some good passes behind the Kick Start wing backs.
The tension within the match grew as the game went on, not due to the players but some questionable and almost puzzling decisions made by the inexperienced officials.
One such incident occurred on the stroke of half time, when a thunderous Free kick by Harris was well saved by Kevon Pierre, it rebounded to an approaching Armande Griffith, who rose above his marker to head the ball into the net.
Kick Start and BSA players retreated to the half until one player saw that assistant referee Nikita Pile was still rooted to her position, and questioned her position.
After heavy showers at the break, the energy and excitement of the first half was gone.
The field was filled with puddles of water, making it almost virtually impossible to display any true quality of play. Neither goalkeeper was tested and into extra time the game went.
BSA struck first in this period, compliments “super-sub” Josimar Skinner in the 77th minute. A melee occurred in the Kick Start area, and Skinner was quickest to react, with his first touch lashing the ball into the roof of the net, to the anguish of Pierre, who got a slight touch of the ball.
This lead was short lived as Kick Start equalised a minute later. Sloppy defending by left wing back Craigg Mayers allowed a pass to come across the area for Tingey to slam home and silence the vocal BSA supporters.
BSA’s custodian Romario Hoyte was the hero as he produced two brilliant saves to lead his team to a 3-1 victory in the penalty shoot-outs.
Pinelands were made to settle for second place twice as their Under-9 outfit went down to Pro Shottas 3-0, and their Under-11s went under by a similar score to Kick Start.
