Families First St John Sonnets made an emphatic return to top flight football with an industrious come-from-behind 2-1 victory over last year’s runners-up Mackeson Brittons Hill on the opening night of the Barbados Football Association Digicel Premier League, at the National Stadium on Sunday.
The win for the Sonnets came after Wales and Sportingbet.com Pinelands played to a dull 0-0 draw in the opening match.
Brittons Hill, under the guile of new skipper Jeffrey Williams, were seen as potential runaway winners and began the game with such purpose, for within the first 20 minutes Walton Burrowes was unfortunate not to score, striking the post twice with ferocious strikes that left Sonnets captain and custodian Bernard Howell absolutely motionless.
Brittons Hill’s main threat was skilful left side player Zakidya Samuels, who made himself a constant menace for his markers with sublime dribbling and control as well as teasing crosses on which his targets failed to capitalize.
It was only fitting that Samuels would have been involved in the opening goal. Samuels displayed strength and intelligence to get away from his marker and laid a precise cross into the path of Burrowes to score the first goal of the 2011 season in the 34th minute, easily side-footing the ball under the body of Howell.
The half-time break rejuvenated the Sonnets lads who employed a counter-attacking tactic that proved fruitful.
It was in the 73rd minute when recent Division 1 Best Midfielder and talisman for the Sonnets, Damian Husbands, played a lofted ball deep into the Brittons Hill penalty area. Zico Mascoll neatly controlled it ahead of sweeper Gregory Goodridge and placed a low shot into the far post past the outstretched hand of Wayne Williams.
With the scores level and Brittons Hill in a state of panic, they made some tactical changes.
It was a tactic that backfired, because the move of Goodridge from sweeper to midfield exposed the weakness of their backline and Sonnets gracefully exploited it in the 93rd minute.
Stefan Bowen displayed the skills that helped his side to promotion, by teasing his marker on the left and playing the ball back for coach David Ward’s son Diego Ward to easily score from about 12 yards with his less favoured right foot, and more importantly grabbing the winner with the final kick of the game.
In the earlier game, Wales, with new acquisitions Dwayne McClean and Paul “Soup” Lovell failed to display their usual slick, transitional style of play as they drew 0-0 with Pinelands, who also boasted two newcomers in defenders Jarvis Forde and Omar Primus, as well asthe return of coach Colin Harewood who had coached Dayrells Road last year.Bagatelle boys have given early notice that they won’t be easy pushovers in their debut Premiership season.
