ALL STARS shone brightest under the lights on Saturday night, holding off Queen’s Park Cricket Club 3-2 in a compelling final to capture the men’s title at the 26th Banks International Hockey Festival at Kensington Oval.
Two goals in the first ten minutes from Damian Downes and a Neil Franklin drag flick were good enough to earn the Stars their second men’s crown following success in 2008.
But the Stars had to withstand a serious second-half surge from the Trini side, whose goals came from Evan Farrell and Jerry Bell.
The Bajans were quicker out of the blocks and took the lead in the fifth minute when Downes was quickest to react to a loose ball and slammed home from the right.
He added a second soon afterwards to delight the hundreds in the Greenidge & Haynes Stand.
But Queen’s Park gradually began to show the type of inspiration that earned them their place in the final.
They cut the lead to 1-2 after 15 minutes as Farrell hammered home following good work down the left from player/coach Raffie Govia.
But the Stars continued to look dangerous and they restored their two-goal cushion five minutes before half-time when Franklin buried his penalty corner drag flick.
Queen’s Park were more urgent in the second period as they sought a route back, with captain Darren Cowie and Govia providing much of the energy and motivation through the middle.
Midway through the period, only a stick intervention by Stars’ goalkeeper Andre Boyce denied the visitors as Farrell waited on the far post for Govia’s cross.
Stars also had their chance to add to their lead as a sublime Dario Jordan pass left Randy Christie one-on-one with goalkeeper Reiza Hosein, who advanced quickly and smothered well.
Queen’s Park, urged on by a small but vocal band of their countrymen in the stands, dominated the final 20 minutes.
They cut the deficit to 2-3 in the 56th minute through a magnificent strike from Bell, whose thunderbolt from the top of the D whistled into the roof of the net.
All Stars had to scrap every remaining minute to hang on to the victory, with Queen’s Park having a realistic penalty stroke appeal waved away before Farrell and Govia hit the woodwork in the dying minutes.
