FOOTBALL?FANS?have got their wish with a dream final between Akademiks and Phoenix UFO Toyota Fire House in the LIME Pelican Football Challenge at Kensington Oval on Friday, Independence Day.
But it took a disputed extra-time penalty converted by Paul Lovell in the 101st minute to give Fire House a hard-fought 2-1 semi-final victory over the impressive but luckless Indar Weir Barbados Steel Works Top Bay Settlers last Sunday night.
Earlier, in the first semi-final, Akademiks secured their berth with a 2-0 victory over T.S. Strikers, courtesy a late brace by Arantees Lawrence in the 89th minute and three minutes into stoppage time.
But Top Bay Settlers weren’t happy with referee Matthew Alleyne’s ruling that goalkeeper Bernard Howell had fouled striker Ricky Barnes.
After the game ended, players and team officials questioned why Howell, who had already been booked, wasn’t given a second yellow card for the alleged foul when he came off his line and spread his body to challenge the goal-bound striker, who tumbled to the turf.
