Former kings Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame and Pinelands made winning starts to this year’s Digicel Premier League on a wet Tuesday night at the National Stadium marred by four expulsions.
The Dames, eager for silverware this season with Tony Jarvis assuming coaching duties again, trounced the newly promoted Barbados Defence Force 3-1, while Pinelands, coached by Chesterfield “Datsun” Simpson, disconnected Direct TV Paradise 2-0.
The young football recruits drew first blood when Chai Lloyd netted in the eighth minute but he turned from hero to villain as he was involved in a fracas with national junior and senior striker Diquan Adamson, and both were red-carded by referee Desmond Edwards in the 73rd minute.
By then, the Dames had moved ahead 2-1 as veteran captain John ”Nobby” Parris converted the first of his two penalties in the 36th minutes and the experienced Bryan Neblett (38th) slotted home after a melee in the area.
Parris sealed the outcome in the 87th minute from the penalty spot after BDF’s sweeper Jason Lovell was ejected for committing a foul and denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
In the second match, Pinelands, who had played unbeaten in the second round last year, continued from where they left off, with the heavy-set Jarvis Forde marshalling their defence.
Former Barbados forward Peter Stoute held the ball up nicely after breaking free on the right side of the 18-yard box and picked out Lionel Paul lurking behind his marker at the far post, and he easily side-footed the ball past national goalkeeper Jason Boxhill to give Pinelands the lead after eight minutes.
Paradise had to rearrange their defence at half-time with Stuart Hall coming on for the departing Barry Skeete.
They suffered a massive blow in the 55th minute when Boxhill became the fourth player to be given marching orders.
Young reserve goalkeeper Delandro Belgrave was brought on with Greg Mandeville being sacrificed and he immediately made his presence felt, saving the resulting penalty by Dario Wilson.
Wilson was eventually substituted and his replacement Dario “Tall Man” Nurse, after running off-side a couple of times in his anxiety and having a goal disallowed, finally got his name on the score sheet in the first minute of injury time.
The Premiership continues tonight at the Stadium with defending champions, Meridian Youth Milan opposing Bagatelle at 6, followed by an encounter between Paradise and Gall Hill at 8.