By:Curtis Morton
The Nevis Football Association held a seven a side knockout tournament over the weekend which in essence, according to President Rohan Isles, was set to whet the appetite of the Football l loving public and to get the local Footballers into the mood to play Football.
‘It’s a reintroduction to Football, so to speak,’ he stated.
Some 11 teams originally registered for the preliminary round of matches played on Saturday 21s May at the ET Willett Park. One team did not show up and another unfortunately dropped out.
So some nine teams participated in the preliminary rounds and only the top four teams were left for Sunday’s semifinal encounters.
Those four top teams were: Royal Future; Highlights Int; Bronx Untied and Hard times.
In semifinal one, played between Hard times and Royal Future, the hard fought contest ended at 2 goals-at the end of regulation time.
The match was then decided on penalty kicks and Hard times came out victors, winning with a score line of 4 goals to 3.
In semifinal two, played between Bronx united and Highlights Int. the match ended on 1 goal-all at the end of regulation time and Highlights Int came away victors from the penalty spot, with a 3 to 1 margin.
The play off for third and fourth spots took place between Royal Future and Bronx untied. Royal Future won that game convincingly with a score line of 3 goals to 1.
Then came the grand finals between Hard times and Highlights Int.
Up to half time, the score line was nil-all and well into the second half, that did not change and the game seemed head for another penalty shootout, until a defensive error on the part of the Hard times team, saw one of the strikers for the Highlights Int team, pummeling the ball into the back of the net.
The Highlights Int team then defended stoutly despite a few scares towards the end to hold on to their 1 to nil lead up to the final whistle and seize championship honours.
The official closing ceremony was held immediately after the final game and President Rohan Isles, ably assisted by Secretary Verna Grant, handed out medals, trophies and cash prizes to the four top teams as follows:
1st place-S L Horsfords Highlights Int–$500.00
2nd Hard Times-$300.00
3rd Royal Future-$200.00
4th Bronx United-$100.00
Verna Grant also took time out to thank all of the individuals and businesses who assisted in any way to make the tournament a reality.
According to President Isles, there will be more Football action coming up sometime around Culturama and a league should commence sometime in November.