Déjà vu!
That’s what the large crowd at the Speightstown playing field witnessed on Wednesday night as the David Thompson Memorial Constituency Council Football Classic semi-final replay ended with a 2-1 victory for defending champions The City over St Michael North.
The City lads showed they were twice as good as their opponents, following last Friday’s abandoned match at the same venue. The champions were on course to winning the match after captain Jeffrey Williams handed them a 2-1 lead but with 20 minutes remaining, a moment of lunacy caused the match to come to a premature end.
Both teams made a number of changes with the most notable one being City’s change in goalkeepers; Don Ifill replacing Andre Small while St Michael North left one of their twin tower forwards, Jamar “Crouch” Grazette, on the bench.
St Michael North grabbed the lead in the 27th minute, when The City failed to deal with another set piece and a defender was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area, leaving referee Adrian Skeete the easiest of task as he pointed to the spot.
Andre Pinder stepped up to drill a left foot shot precisely into the left corner, past the outstretched Ifill.
The City, boasting one of the most threatening attacks in the competition, pressed their opponents and were rewarded when the fleet-footed Dwayne Mars took advantage of some slack defending. He raced to the byline and played a pinpoint cross to an unmarked Carl Joseph, who almost tore the net with a powerful left shot from the edge of the six-yard box, to level the score on the stroke of half time.
Mars gave the City the lead in the 52nd minute with the goal which would take the Bridgetown ballers into the finals.
With his usual predatory instinct, Mars took advantage of a slip by a St Michael North defender. He quickly moved into the penalty area and side-footed a right foot shot into the left hand corner, leaving custodian Taizeo Riley pinned to his line.
The City almost increased their lead but substitute Renaldo Seale headed a Joseph free kick onto the crossbar, to the relief of the St Michael North players.
The City will now go in search of their second successive Constituency Council title when they meet Christ Church West Central on Sunday at Kensington Oval at 8 p.m.
