THERE WAS more merriment for Digicel Premier League leaders Meredian Youth Milan yesterday evening at the National Stadium.
Two goal-keeping blunders left the scores locked 1-1 but a majestic 79th-minute goal by substitute Ramon Greaves gave Youth Milan an important 2-1 victory over defending champions Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame.
Playing the first match of a triple header at the National Stadium, Greaves got the winning goal seven minutes after he replaced Antonio Griffith for Milan’s eighth victory in nine first-round matches.
Greaves, the son of long-standing former Barbados basketball centre and captain Dwight Rouse, hooked the ball around Dames’ left wing back Carl Joseph and then delightfully pushed his left-foot shot into goalkeeper Kareem Farrell’s far corner.
The result carried Youth Milan to 24 points and gave them a comfortable eight-point cushion at the top of the standings going into the second round.
ICE Wales and Paradise have already completed their first-round matches with 16 points while Dames remained on 15 points. Mackeson Brittons Hill will also end the first round on 16 points should they beat Bagatelle in last night’s second game.
The Dames had taken an early 1-0 lead in the 12th minute when goalkeeper Adrian Chase failed to hold a long throw by John “Nobby” Parris and the ball fell rightinto the path of defender Kemoi Seale, who confidently hit home from six yards for his second goal at this level.
However, the Dames suffered a serious setback when they were forced to take off their injured long-serving captain Parris after only 28 minutes and replace him with Rommell Brathwaite.
Equalizer
Youth Milan equalized six minutes into the second half, also with a fortuitous goal as Ramuel Miller’s harmless-looking half volley slipped through the hands of Dames’ custodian Farrell.
A minute later, Maradona Lavine had a chance to put the Dames ahead again but shot wide of the right post.
Sensing the opportunity to seize the initiative, Milan coach Randolph Cox, who had used former Barbados midfielder Patrick Skinner in a defensive midfield position for the entire match, brought on Norman Forde, who was recuperating from a groin injury, ten minutes into the second half for Jamar Watson.
But Forde was employed in a striking position, leaving Dwayne “Boot” Griffith to carry the attack to the Dames from midfield and showing to all and sundry that he deserves to be among Barbados’ World Cup training squad.
The Dames introduced 16-year-old striker Diquan Adamson for John Hawkesworth but Cox countered by taking off striker Kenroy Skinner and inserting defender Dwayne Griffith to bolster his defence.
To compound Dames’ woes, Renaldo Gilkes was a shade unlucky to be sent off by referee Edwin Adams for a second bookable offence in injury time when he was whistled for a foul on Griffith, who was shielding the ball.
