The battle lines were well and truly drawn. It was Thursday, 28th November and a sizeable and vociferous crowd, had gathered at the ET Willet Park, for the grand finals in the Education and Sports Departments Primary Schools’ Football tournament.
It was indeed the BIG ONE: Charlestown Primary versus the Ivor Walters Primary.
The exchanges were intense from the very beginning and both teams missed golden opportunities to score.
However, on this occasion, it was the Charlestown team that struck the back of the net first. A free-kick by one of their strikers, which the Ivor Walters goalie saw sailing over his head. He grabbed at it and just like butterfingers, it slipped through.
The Ivor Walters Primary team upped their intensity to equalize. It was a corner kick on this occasion and a superb header by Jones, which tied up the game 1 goal –all and the Ivor Walters team had equalized. At half time, the scores were levelled at 1 goal to each team.
No one was going anywhere soon!
Both teams continued with full force but at the end of regulation time, the scores remained 1 – 1.
Referee Virgo ruled that the championship would be decided on penalties.
As the members of the crowd looked on with bated breaths, it eventually ended at 3 goals to 1, in favour of the Ivor Walters team and the match was awarded prematurely and erroneously, to the Ivor Walters School. It was soon pointed out by FIFA Referee, Kimbel Warde, that the game was not yet complete.
The Charlestown Primary School, however, refused to continue the game, even after the pleadings of some persons in the crowd. Some of the players even openly shed a few tears.
The Ivor Walters team was therefore adjudged, the 2019 champions of Football in the Primary Schools of Nevis.