With time running out, Kenroy Skinner drilled home a 92nd-minute equalizer to help DirecTV Red Snappers earn a well deserved 2-2 draw against Firehouse in the LIME Pelican Football Challenge Sunday night at Kensington Oval.
It was a fitting end to a hard-fought contest.
Before the start of the game, there was a minute of silence in honour of former Firehouse footballer Marcus Marshall, who died suddenly on April 22.
In the opening game, Nulook 360 Connection and newcomers Sportstown Galaxy battled to a 1-1 draw, while Top Bay Settlers jumped to the top of Zone A after inflicting a 4-1 drubbing on Broad Street Men’s and Women’s Red Tridents.
But Skinner’s last-gasp effort will be the talk of the town, with Firehouse seemingly coasting to victory with a 2-1 lead after the end of 90 minutes.
However, with just seconds remaining in the game, a long ball from the heart of the Red Snappers’ defence found its way upfield.
With Skinner and teammate Jeffrey Williams in hot pursuit, Firehouse’s last man Oscar Nero slipped as he attempted to clear the ball, allowing Williams to take control.
His quick turn to avoid another challenge from Hall, resulted in the ball rolling straight into the path of Skinner, whose ferocious right-footed shot from inside the 18-yard box left Firehouse goalkeeper Saheka “Rossi” Duke without a chance.
It was the second time Red Snappers had to overcome a deficit, after falling behind from as early as the 11th minute, when a curling corner from Ricky Barnes beat everyone, including keeper Bentley Springer, to creep in at the far post.
They would have to wait until deep into the second half to get on level terms, with Williams pouncing on a loose ball flicked on by Skinner from an ensuing corner, to stab home in the 72nd minute.
However, no sooner had their celebrations subsided than Firehouse were back in the lead.
Following a good buildup on the right flank, Nicholas King was superbly played through by Norman Forde, and the dreadlocked player clinically finished past an advancing Springer in the 77th minute.
Earlier, Reviere Williams’ 14th-minute goal gave Red Tridents the lead against Top Bay Setters, before a second-half onslaught, spearheaded by a double strike from Ryan Griffith, set Top Bay Settlers on their way to an easy victory.
Things started to go horribly wrong for Red Tridents 13 minutes after resumption, when Gregory “Lalu” Goodridge made it 1-1 with a beautifully flicked header which beat custodian Corey Bridgeman at his near post.
Just eight minutes later, in the 66th minute, Griffith put his team in the lead with a brilliant strike. Receiving the ball just outside the penalty area in plenty of space, the burly striker turned and curled an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner which Bridgeman could only retrieve from the back of the net.
Things got even worse for Tridents when Mario Marshall, in an attempt to flick the ball away from a charging Griffith, ended up putting it into the back of his own net, with an advancing Bridgeman left clueless.
And after having a goal ruled offside, Griffith fittingly put the icing on the cake in the 95th minute, grabbing his second goal.
Goalkeeper Kerry Holder’s brilliant showing helped ten-man 360 Connection to a share of the spoils against an impressive Galaxy unit.
With the scores locked at 1-1, after Kareem Frederick had put Galaxy ahead in the 68th minute from the penalty spot, only to see Dwayne Stanford equalize in the same manner in the 78th following a handball, Holder kept his side in the game with several superb saves.
He twice denied Galaxy’s striker Damien Husbands, before doing the same to Ricardo Cyrus after they both had slipped away in one-on-one situations, before also surviving the dismissal of Jomo Brathwaite for his second bookable offence.
