Former Barbados captain Rashad Jules scored an injury time winner as defending Barbados Football Association (BFA) Premier League champions Weymouth Wales beat arch rivals Ellerton 2-1 in a thriller on Sunday.
Playing at the BFA’s Technical Centre, Wales knew only a victory would see them reestablish a one-point lead at the top of the table following Paradise’s 11-2 thrashing of Wotton in an earlier match.
They got off to the perfect start when Javon Austin was adjudged to have fouled Jules just inside the box in the sixth minute. Ackeel Applewhaite then duly converted the penalty down low to the left of Ellerton goalkeeper Kerry Holder to give Wales an early 1-0 lead.
Wales enjoyed the bulk of the possession thereafter, but there were no more clear cut chances for either side until the 66th minute when Ellerton skipper Shakille Belle pounced on a clinical pass before shaking off the challenge of Rashad Smith and rounding Wales keeper Kishmar Primus to score the equaliser.
A frenetic final 25 minutes saw both sides pressing for the winner.
Ellerton wasted an excellent opportunity to take the lead when Belle sent a delightful cross into the box from the right hand side in the 90th minute, but with just the slightest of touches needed to complete the goal and with Primus beaten, substitute Anson Barrow failed to make any connection with the ball from five yards out.
It was a miss they would live to regret minutes later, as Jules muscled through Ellerton’s defense to swivel and rifle a left-footed shot from outside the box that rocketed into the net in the 93rd minute and set off wild celebrations among his team mates.
Ironically, Jules also scored a 93rd minute winner against Brittons Hill in the last round.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY after the game, Jules paid tribute to his teammates.
“It was a relatively productive night. Like you guys would have seen for the whole season, we just need to do a little better in the final third, but for the most part the guys have been keeping the ball, and at least trying to play a Wales style of football, regardless of the results that we’ve been getting,” he said.
Reflecting on his second game winner in as many matches, Jules said he has had a tough season by his standards.
“I feel as though coming to Wales the staff put a lot of confidence and support in me. They know I’ve been struggling all season, but they kept me on and I just think that I had to prove them right,” Jules said.
In the evening’s second game Paradise kept up the pressure on the defending champions, with a comprehensive drubbing of Wotton, who played the entire 90 minutes with club president Rasheed Belgrave between the uprights.
Paradise led 7-0 at half time and made a number of substitutes at that point, which affected their attacking flow in the second half. To their credit Wotton never gave up and scored two goals of their own, despite the most lopsided result of the season so far.
Tyrel Rayside Demendonca and Shamari Harewood both completed hat tricks for Paradise, with Sheran Hoyte and Kamol Griffith getting two goals apiece, while Christian Gill scored the remaining goal. Tre Byer and Jayden Benjamin were on target for Wotton.
Paradise coach Mario Harte was pleased to go back to the top of the league (at that point) and boost his team’s goal difference significantly, as they moved up to 33 points.
“Yeah great result, always good to get some goals on the board, but conceding two rubbed me a little on the wrong side, but yeah grateful for the three points most of all,” Harte said.
The result once again put pressure on Wales to respond later in the evening, and while Harte admitted that he would rather his side be leading the table, he said he was satisfied with his team’s position.
Earlier in the evening’s opening game, Eyre’s Meatshop Pride of Gall Hill clinched a crucial 1-0 win over UWI Blackbirds to further distance themselves from the relegation battle.
Shakarie Mottley scored the game’s only goal in the 86th minute, as Gall Hill moved up to sixth position on 15 points, while UWI remained seventh on 13.
kurtishinds@barbadostoday.bb
