All Stars won the battle of Barbados yesterday, defeating Du Badd Crew 4-3 in an absorbing semi-final in the men’s section of the 26th Banks International Hockey Festival at Kensington Oval.
The Stars now meet a rampant Queen’s Park Cricket Club in today’s final after the Parkites dismissed fellow countrymen Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force 6-3 in the other final four match-up.
The women’s final will feature two teams with ten titles between them, as six-time winners and two-time defending champions A Badd Connection set up a showdown with Old Gold Roosters, the champs in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2008.
ABC had a tough time breaking down a gritty Big Apple team from the United States but Keisha Jordan’s sensational reverse stick goal in the 55th minute broke the deadlock.
Maria Sealy sealed the win, making it 2-0 in the final ten minutes when she slapped home a rebound after Jordan’s penalty corner was initially saved.
Roosters were more convincing winners, riding Cher King’s hat-trick to see off Maple 5-1. Mary McKissock and Trish-Ann Greaves also got on the scoresheet while Mercedes Cambridge got a late consolation for Maple.
The all-Bajan men’s semi-final lived up to its billing from the start with Du Badd taking a 1-0 lead over All Stars after two minutes when Joel Bodkin netted after a swift counter-attack.
All Stars had the chance for a swift reply but Dario Jordan’s sizzling penalty stroke was saved by goalkeeper Victor Williams off his glove and helmet.
Du Badd, pacy and skilful, were the better team in the first period but All Stars found a way back in the 28th minute through a crisp Ryan Davis penalty corner strike.
Du Badd grabbed a 2-1 lead just before half-time as a creative Jamar Lashley pass picked out Jerome Harewood, who slapped home spectacularly on the run.
All Stars, with one men’s Festival title back in 2008, wasted no time in turning the match around in the first eight minutes of the second period. Dario Jordan levelled and two Neil Franklin penalty strokes gave them a 4-2 lead.
Du Badd did not give up, however, and enjoyed a spell of dominance midway through the half when four All Stars players received temporary suspensions for yellow cards.
Du Badd pulled it back to 3-4 through the enterprising Lashley, who rode a few tackles before flicking home a penalty corner in the 55th minute.
But Lashley was soon the villain, his potential game-tying penalty stroke saved by the trailing leg of goalkeeper Andre “Ba” Boyce six minutes from time.
The two-time defending champions in the mixed and veterans divisions remained on course for a three-peat with Mount Gay Maple beating CSOS/Islanders 2-0 in the veterans and Rockets dismissing Du Badd 6-1 in the mixed.
Maple’s opponents in the final will be Queen’s Park, whose stirring Festival display continued yesterday with a 7-2 win over Switzerland’s Flying Hoppers.
Rockets will battle Dominion in the mixed final after Dominion defeated University of the West Indies 3-1.
