Dwayne Mars put Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame in heaven and KDJ Auto Parts Gatorade Dayrells Roads in hell with a match-winning extra-time goal Sunday night.
The goal, in the feature match at Gall Hill, St John, culminated a weekend that saw two other Premier League sides, Pride of Gall Hill and Bagatelle, booted out of the KFC Knockout Football Cup by lower division teams in the third round.
Dayrells Road, minus defenders Jomo Brathwaite and Roland Sandiford, gave a sterling display before succumbing 2-3 to their more illustrious neighbours Notre Dame.
Mars’ late goal with just two minutes in the second period of extra time (118th minute), left the Dayrells Road players so crestfallen that they vented their frustration about referee Royon Small.
Their main bone of contention was that Mars’ goal was offside. It started with a cross by the skilful Carl Joseph, which Dames’ captain John “Nobby” Parris, who was pushed into a midfield position, controlled and locked the ball to his left foot. But before he could shoot, a lurking Mars was quickly on the ball and placed it past goalkeeper Andre Small.
Notre Dame had taken the lead in the 12th minute through a Zico Edmee header from a corner by Joseph but Dayrells Road equalized in the 27th minute when Brian Bynoe converted a penalty after he was tripped in the area by Parris.
A glancing header by Tristan Parris from a cross sent Dayrells Road ahead 2-1 in the 59th minute.
But an unmarked John Parris, with Small coming off his line, redeemed himself when he powerfully hit home a free kick from Joseph, who was fouled by Corey Taitt.
In the first game, the Barbados Defence Force booted out last year’s losing finalists Cosmos 3-0.
Cosmos, currently leading in Division 1, had the better of the exchanges in the first half but David “Popeye” Forde and Dale “Lalu” Benn, twice squandered goal-scoring opportunities.
They paid dearly as three minutes into the second half, Chai Lloyd headed home Nicholas “Rat” Best’s cross.
Dwayne O’Garro made it 2-0 in the 71st minute with a volley from the edge of the penalty area and skipper Mario Harte sealed the deal when he held off his marker to flick a lob pass from Best over goalkeeper Richard Corbin in the 85th minute.
On Saturday, hosts Silver Sands ousted Gall Hill 2-1, while DirecTV Paradise and Mackeson Brittons Hill also moved into the quarter-finals by beating Oxley and Wotton 4-1 and 2-1 respectively.
Shane “Plucky Duck” Welch and Carlos Ward scored for Silver Sands, while Andre Daniel netted for Gall Hill.
Brittons Hill got a brace from Arantes Lawrence but Wotton also got on the score sheet through Jamal Hall.
A double strike by Kadeem Latham and other goals by Renaldo Niles and Trevor Mayers saw Paradise overpower Oxley, who got a consolation goal from Alvin Welch.
The biggest upset came on Sunday at Fairy Valley where third division team Rendezvous sent Bagatelle crashing out with a 3-0 thrashing.
It is noteworthy that Rendezvous’ team included former Barbados sweeper Floyd Bailey and several other Masters footballers such as George Skeete, Adrian Pridee, Rodney “Bob” Yarde and Lennox “Black P” Crichlow, who got a late red card.
For Rendezvous, former St Vincent and the Grenadines’ forward Shandell Samuels scored twice and his national teammate Chad Balcombe scored the other goal.
The match between defending champions Weymouth Wales and St John Sonnets, scheduled for Weymouth “B” wasn’t played because of an unmarked field.
