TWO TEAMS which have won little silverware over the years will now vie for championship honours in this year’s KFC?Knockout Cup at the National Stadium on Sunday.
Mackeson Brittons Hill and the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP)?set up a showdown for the title with contrasting semi-final victories last Sunday.
Brittons Hill defeated Division 1 side Silver Sands 2-0 while BDFSP prevailed 4-2 in penalty kicks over defending champions Weymouth Wales after the scores were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation and extra time.
Brittons Hill got an early goal from Walter Burrowes in the fifth minute when the stocky striker was gifted an easy header after a misjudgement by Silver?Sands’ stand-in goalkeeper Shane “Plucky” Welch, who normally plays in the forward line.
National player Jeffrey Williams sealed the outcome with a late injury time goal as Brittons Hill, whose lone knockout success was in 2007, defeated the Christ Church side 2-0.
It wasn’t easy for the BDFSP?boys, even though they scored after just three minutes when captain Mario Harte headed in a corner from Tariq Highland.
The young army football recruits, whose only knockout title triumph came back in 1994, enjoyed the advantage of having an extra advantage after Wales’ dependable central defender Shawn Clarke was red-carded. But after squandering a number of opportunities, they allowed Wales to equalize.
First, Wales capitalized when BDFSP also lost defender Zico Phillips – who was ejected in the 74th minute – pushing forward for the equalizer.
It eventually came in the 85th minute with Zaeehaeus Polius guiding in a cross from substitute Jadai Clarke.
But Polius turned from hero to villain as both he and Dwayne Stanford had their penalties brilliantly saved by BDFSP’s goalkeeper Saheka “Rossi” Duke. (EZS)
