SHE MAY BE the youngest player in the National Sports Council’s (NSC) squad but teenager Kashia Worrell came of age with her title-winning goal last Sunday afternoon.
The 88th-minute goal gave NSC their maiden Barbados Football Association’s (BFA) Women League title, courtesy of a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Empire in the deciding championship play-off match at the new Wildey Astro Turf facility.
Worrell, a 14-year-old Alexandra student, was on the pitch for just three minutes after coming on for Kimberley Ellis when she raced on to a pass from midfielder Shanice Stevenson which caught the Empire defence napping.
With goalkeeper Janelle Austin rooted on her line, Worrell held off the challenge from the retreating Empire defenders to slot the ball into the back of the nets and trigger unbridled celebrations in the NSC camp.
Worrell had another excellent chance to score a second goal when she broke free on the right side but instead of taking the ball into the penalty area, she shot straight to Austin.
Earlier, this season’s leading goalscorer, Aaliyah Alleyne, opened the scoring for Empire in the 15th minute with her 29th goal. She easily slotted home a rebound after a shot by Patrina Brathwaite was deflected onto the post by NSC’s goalkeeper Rhea Holder.
But captain Kamillah Burke equalized three minutes later for NSC when she hit home a one-time shot from a cross by Aiko Rudder-Jones. The multi-talented Burke, who has also represented Barbados in youth netball and cricket along with football, said winning the title was a good feeling.
“The feeling is great, winning your first title. The girls put in the work and they deserve it,” she said.
“We have a very young team with some girls who came in for the first time. We just got to stay together and I’m sure this will be the first of many more titles to come,” she added.
Burke said the triumph is the perfect send-off for their 45-year-old veteran, Bonita Flores.
“She is our oldest player. This year, she wasn’t sure if she was going to play but I’m glad she came out and gave 110 per cent in every game,” Burke said.
The NSC?had to endure relentless pressure from Alleyne, who came close to scoring on a few occasions and it took some good goalkeeping from Holder, who twice had to come off her line to thwart Alleyne. First, she blocked Alleyne and then narrowed the angle, causing another shot to go wide.
Right back Shanice Patterson, 16, also played a big role in keeping Alleyne at bay. Kerry Bascombe was solid in defence for NSC while both Flores and Yalvia Espinosa-Payne were called upon to make some timely interventions as Alleyne, Brathwaite, Gabriella Lopez and Nickeisha Anthony all threatened on occasions for Empire.
