In every disappointment, there is a blessing!
This was the case with Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame footballers as they put aside two first-half setbacks to beat Youth Milan 3-1 in the Digicel Premier League Thursday night at the Wildey Astroturf Facility.
The Dames’ unlikely hero was substitute DeCarlo Jemmott who scored a double strike after going on in only the 10th minute for the injured Diquan Adamson. Then, a late goal by Giancarlo Cobham sent Youth Milan crashing to a third straight defeat in the night’s opener.
In the feature match, title holders Weymouth Wales beat early leaders Dayrells Road 2-1 through a first-half brace by Dwayne Stanford in the seventh and 45th minutes. Christopher Sealy got a consolation goal in in the 90th minute for Dayrells Road when he curled a free kick around the Wales’ wall to beat goalkeeper Bentley Springer.
Dayrells Road, who had won their first two matches, surprisingly kept Tristan “Fishy” Parris on the bench until the second half and by the time he was introduced, Wales were ahead 2-0.
Stanford gave the Wales a perfect start, running on to a pass from Jason “Fowlie” Blackman and easily beating the advancing goalkeeper Andre Small.
Thereafter, Wales went on a “goal-missing” spree as Blackman struck the upright and Carl Joseph, trying to take advantage of the unprotected goal, steered his effort wide of the right post.
Small also came up with several superb saves but could do nothing when Kemar Headley, released down the right flank by Joseph, took the ball to the byline before squaring back for Stanford to slot home.
Wales’ misses continued in the second half, wasting crosses by Joseph as Headley hit the crossbar and Blackman failed to convert at the back post.
Earlier, Dames’ eventual victory looked doubtful when Adamson suffered an ankle injury and was replaced by Jemmott.
To compound the Dames’ woes, veteran John “Nobby” Parris scored an own goal, slicing an attempted clearance past his goalkeeper Kareem Farrell in the 19th minute to give Milan a 1-0 lead.
Nothing seemed to be going right for the Dames against a Milan side, which were without injured duo, Norman Forde and Dwayne “Ticky” Skinner as Dwayne Mars missed at least two simple chances.
The only bright spark for Dames seemed to be speedy teenager Hayden Holligan, who was a livewire on the left flank, using his pace to constantly slip past Milan’s right back Travis Hinds.
The Dames’ fortunes changed dramatically in the second half, after Milan gave them a lifeline with Damien “Duffy” Edwards, Jermaine Boyce and Rommel Corbin squandering their chances.
The equalizer, in the 64th minute, came when Milan’s Mario Albert deflected a high cross into the path of unmarked Jemmott, who made no mistake.
Six minutes later, Jemmott, again left unmarked, hit an unstoppable volley into the roof of the nets,while Cobham atoned for hitting the crossbar by curling the ball out of the reach of the goalkeeper.
