JOINT?Digicel Premier League leaders Pride of Gall Hill and Mackeson Brittons Hill played to an action packed, aggressive and ill-tempered 1-1 draw on Sunday night at the National Stadium in the feature match of a triple-header.
Direct TV Paradise’s woes continued as they suffered yet another defeat, going down 2-0 to the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP), while Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame moved into fifth place after earning a 2-1 win over Pharmaceutical Plus Cosmos.
Barry Skeete’s 67th minute red card caused a collapse for Paradise, which the BDFSP took full advantage of, as Teriq Highland in the 70th and skipper Mario Harte in the 90th sealed victory number four for the defending champions.
Cosmos started slowly and were on the back foot from as early as the seventh minute. A driving run by Hadan Holligan was cut short by a Cosmos defender in the area, leaving the referee the easiest of decisions to point to the spot. Zico Edmee stepped up and blasted his effort high into the right hand corner for his fifth goal of the season.
Dames doubled their lead in the 27th minute, when a well driven corner kick by John Hawkesworth was met by the head of John Parris.
After the interval, the Bayland boys took their feet off the gas and this allowed Cosmos to press forward and cause some havoc in the Dames defence. Luckily for them however, Cosmos’ rather inexperienced front line missed several easy goal scoring opportunities.
Cosmos got themselves back into the game in the 64th minute when Donovan Lavine converted from the penalty spot after defender Leon Todd was called for handling the ball in the area.
Notre Dame resisted any further Cosmos attack and to come winners.
Defence has been the main reason for Brittons Hill’s early success in the season so far, having conceded no goals in their four previous matches, while scoring eight.
The game was initially a battle for midfield supremacy, as neither team offered the other time on the ball nor space to create any openings. But it was Gall Hill who struck first and what a gem it was.
Malcolm “Buju” Marshall cut in off the right and played a defence-splitting pass into the path of Diquan Adamson, who unleashed a ferocious left foot drive from just around 25 yards, which flew by the left hand of a diving Orlando Carew in the 32nd minute.
Brittons Hill tried to get themselves back into the game through the driving runs of Curtis Odle, who opted to mainly occupy the left hand side. Odle almost got himself on the scoresheet when a cross from the right bypassed everyone and dropped perfectly for him, but his headed effort to the far post did not have enough on it to cross the line.
Brittons Hill piled players forward in attempt to grab that important equalizer and their perseverance finally paid off in the 69th minute. Attacking midfielder Elsid Miggins went on one of his mesmerizing runs and was impeded in the area by a rash challenge from teenage defender Ranaldo Bailey.
Referee Gillian Martindale pointed to the spot and Miggins sent goalkeeper Omari Eastmond to the right corner while the ball was drilled to the left.
The intensity of the game became higher and this ignited silly fouls, reckless challenges and a fracas which occurred between Odle and a couple of his former Gall Hill teammates.
When the smoke cleared Martindale delivered marching orders to Odle and Rico “Sas” Baptiste in the 88th minute.
