The Super Six Playoffs table is tight after this past weekend’s SKNFA Super Six playoff matches. One team is almost assured of a finals spot and four of the remaining five teams have a mathematical chance of being the next finalists. Added to that, two of those teams are tied on six points with the same goal difference; goals scored and goals conceded: that would be Conaree FC and Village Superstars. The table makes each team’s final match of the round-robin very intriguing.
The drama all started on Friday night:
FLOW 4G CAYON ROCKETS vs. NEWTOWN UNITED
FINAL SCORE 2 – 1 in favour of FLOW 4G CAYON ROCKETS
Scoring for Newtown
K’andre Wattley (Cayon) own goal 36th min
Scoring for Cayon
Devaunty Carty 20th min
Kejorn Wattley 90th min
Coach Al Edwards of Cayon, while happy with the win, rued his team’s missed chances. “The last time we spoke, I said all we have been practicing is finishing and for the last three days that’s all we have been doing; finishing, finishing, finishing,” Edwards said. We were looking for a big win to boost our chances at even a third place or to squeeze in the final (two) but it didn’t come tonight.”
Coach Anthony “Nets” Isaac, felt a substitution of his goalkeeper in the latter stages of the match, with an outfield player, due to an injury to his goalkeeper and the unavailability of his starting custodian, changed the outcome of the match. “It changed a lot for us…. we had to put in one of our better defenders in the goal just to replace the goalkeeper,” lamented Isaac, who said his goalkeeper had his shoulder dislocated. His first-choice goalkeeper was unable to play due to an accident before the match.
On Saturday, one of the best matches of the playoffs unfolded: MFCR Old Road United Jets and SOL IAS Conaree FC. The match ended 3-3 and was a see-saw from start to finish:
MFCR UNITED OLD ROAD JETS vs. SOL ISLAND AUTO CONAREE
(half time score 2 – 3 in favour of Conaree )
FINAL SCORE 3 – 3
Scoring for Old Road
Loudajour Lewis 3rd min
Tiquanny Williams 2 goals – 37th & (pk) 90th min
Scoring for Conaree
Javern Matthew (pk) 10th min
Wazim Howe 26th min
Errol O’loughlin 43rd min
Unfortunately, four players were issued straight red cards after the match ended prematurely due to a fight.
Red cards
Iquon Frazer (Old Road) 90th + 7min
Tiquanny Williams (Old Road) 90th + 7min
Kadeen Lewis (Conaree) 90th + 7 min
Wazim Howe (Conaree) 90th +7 min
Coach Al Richards of Conaree was hoping for a win but relished the point from the draw. “I thought we should have won it…We gave up a penalty, which was a soft penalty. But nevertheless, the team held out for the draw,” Richards said.
In relation to the incident, the SKNFA issued a statement: “The SKNFA deeply regrets the unfortunate incident that occurred following an exceptionally competitive match—one of the season’s finest. Such behavior has no place in the game we love and respect. Consequently, our disciplinary committee will convene to take decisive action, in line with our established bylaws.”
Then on Sunday:
S L HORSFORDS ST.PAUL’S UNITED vs. RAMS VILLAGE SUPERSTARS
(half-time score 0 – 0 )
FINAL SCORE 1 – 1
Scoring for St. Paul’s
Nicquan Phipps 67th min
Scoring for Village
Tahir Hanley 90th + 4 min
That match was marred by a serious injury to Diquan Johnson of St. Paul’s, who was taken by ambulance to the JNF Hospital. The incident led to a 23-minute delay. That delay affected how both teams approached the conclusion of the match, as explained by Coach Stephen Clarke of Village and Manager of St. Paul’s Derionne Edmeade. Clarke said he had to withdraw Hasani Flemming, the player who tackled Johnson when he sustained the injury. “I had to take him out because he was very, very distraught. But besides that, we still had a game to finish,” he said. Edmeade said the injury impacted how his players finished the match. “I think that also took a toll on the mindset (of the players) as we tried to finish the game,” he said. Best wishes to Johnson as he is recovering from his injury.
All teams will have to wait a week to know their fate as we now enter an international break. The St. Kitts Senior Men’s National Team will bow into action in the Concacaf Nations League this Thursday at 7 p.m. against Guadeloupe at the SKNFA Technical Center.