Striker Kenny Sealy brought joy to DirecTV Paradise with an 84th-minute winner against Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame in their Digicel Premier League football match Thursday night at the Wildey AstroTurf.
Just when the match seemed headed for the second stalemate of the night following the 1-1 draw in the opener between Gall Hill and Mackeson Brittons Hill, Sealy gave the Dover-based side an important 1-0 victory.
Coach-player Kent Hall took a free kick from the right attacking side and six-footer Barry Skeete rose above the Dames’ defence to head the ball into the path of Sealy.
And Sealy, despite being surrounded by desperate defenders, managed to muscle the ball over the line and out of the reach of the Dames’ former Barbados goalkeeper Morrison Taylor, standing in for indisposed captain Kareem Farrell.
The victory carried Paradise to second place in the standings on 15 points, five behind leaders, Barbados Defence Force.
Notre Dame remained on 14 points, but slipped to third place, marginally ahead of defending champions Weymouth Wales, who have the same number of points, on goal difference.
Earlier, Brittons Hill went ahead fortuitously after just ten minutes when Renaldo Marques inadvertently turned the ball into his own nets.
Brittons Hill should have doubled the score midway into the first half but Arantees Lawrence squandered a penalty, having his spot kick superbly saved by Gall Hill’s goalkeeper Omari Eastmond.
As fate would have it, Gall Hill were also awarded a penalty by referee Trevor “Muslim” Taylor after Jabarry Chandler was fouled by Brittons Hill’s defender Rohan Hall.
But Chandler made no mistake with a confident conversion to earn his team the equalizer in the 55th minute.
Both teams made several substitutions in search of the winner.
Gall Hill introduced Kyle Atherley and Tyrell Gibbons for Jason Goodridge and Chandler, respectively, in the 66th and 71st minutes. They also replaced national Under-17 striker Shaquille Boyce with Kahlil Gill.
Brittons Hill took out old stager Luther Watson and Troy Johnson in the last ten minutes, using youngsters Shad Parris and Zidkigah Samuels. But neither team could break the deadlock even though chances were created at either end.
The Premiership continues today at the AstroTurf with Cosmos playing the winless Families First St John Sonnets at 6 p.m. and BDF looking to extend their five-point cushion at the top when they oppose Dayrells Road at 8 p.m.