JUST?ONE MORE point or another victory from their last two matches.
That’s all the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) need to win this year’s Digicel Premier League football title following a hard-fought 2-1 triumph over Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame at the Wildey Football AstroTurf on Sunday night.
The victory carried BDF to 37 points from 16 matches and with second placed Mackeson Brittons Hill being held to a 1-1 draw by dethroned defending champions, Weymouth Wales, the army’s footballers can start opening their trophy cabinet at St Ann’s Fort to welcome a third league crown after the 1995 and 2007 triumphs.
That result left Brittons Hill on 29 points from 15 matches and even though they have a game in hand, they are the only side with a mathematical chance of catching BDF. But they must win their last three matches to move to 38 points and hope BDF lose their last two.
Notre Dame actually went ahead in the 14th minute when Kadeem Atkins converted a penalty after veteran John Hawkesworth was fouled by BDF defender Jason Lovell.
But BDF stormed back to take the lead at half-time through goals by their two sharpshooters, Jamal Chandler and captain Mario Harte, in the 35th and 44th minutes respectively.
Chandler shot a left foot laser from just outside the penalty box and it sped past Dames’ goalkeeper Morrison Taylor while Harte slotted home after Kyle Gibson went down the right side and squared back the ball.
The score remained that way until the final whistle as the Dames missed a chance to get the equalizer when DeCarlo Jemmott inexplicably headed a cross from Hawlesworth wide from inside the six-yard box.
Midfielder Kemar Bartlett gave Wales an early fourth-minute lead, with a low one-time right foot shot from a cross by Anthony Forde, who was set free on the left flank by Jabar “Buggy” Green.
Green had an outstanding match in midfield, winning the ball and distributing it to teammates but needs to work on his finishing. Kemar Headley should have made it 2-0 but had his close-range effort blocked.
Brittons Hill got the equalizer in the 34th minute when lanky striker Hendy Richards punished Wales by knocking home a ball which defender Julian Mottley was shielding for goalkeeper Bentley Springer to collect instead of clearing.
Both teams had chances to get the winning goal but weren’t clinical enough, especially Elsid Miggins who was twice denied and Arantees Lawrence, who headed onto the cross bar.
Earlier, Pride of Gall Hill continued their impressive second round play, showing no mercy on Dayrells Road with a 8-3 thrashing, the biggest win in the Premiership this season.
Teenaged striker Jabarry Chandler had a first half beaver trick with goals in the 7th, 19th, 24th and 31st minutes as Gall Hill led 6-0 at half time, forcing Dayrells Roads to substitute goalkeeper Damian Simpson with Fabian Smith.
Ryan “Shaky” Griffith (21st), national Under-17 striker Shaquille Boyce (32nd and 54th) and Khalil Gill (71st) completed the goal glut for Gall Hill, who moved into third position on 25 points, the same number as Wales but with a superior goal difference.
Tristan “Fishy” Parris (48th), Alvin “Cobbler” Welch and Curtis Odle (86th) got consolation second half goals for Dayrells Road, who remain on 15 points.
