It might be only three games into the second round but the Digicel Premier League football title could be moving to a new base.
Leaders Barbados Defence Force (BDF) moved seven points clear at the top of the standings with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over fellow title contenders Mackeson Brittons Hill in their top-of-the-table clash Sunday night at the Wildey Football AstroTurf.
The fast-paced encounter was decided by a controversial penalty awarded by former FIFA referee Royon Small which was confidently converted by Mario Harte in the 57th minute.
Defender Paul Straughn may consider himself somewhat unlucky in committing the foul on BDF forward Nicholas “Rat” Best, who bent his head a bit low as Straughn went forward to challenge for the ball.
Brittons Hill had flirted with danger throughout as their young goalkeeper Rashad Ince made several fumbles.
After one such miss, the BDF’s Romario Harewood hurriedly lashed the loose ball over the crossbar of the unprotected goal.
Another miss went unpunished as Kyle Gibson headed wide, while Harte also had a shot ricochet off the right post and into Ince’s hands.
BDF?are now on 29 points, while Brittons Hill remain on 22, slipping to third place behind Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame (23).
In the preceding Premiership match, defending champions Weymouth Wales, propelled by a hat-trick from teenaged striker Kemar Headley, thrashed Dayrells Road 6-0 to move into fourth place on 20 points.
After Ryan Grimes opened the scoring in the 11th minute, Headley was on target in the 18th, 44th and 58th minutes before substitutes Jason Ramsay (76th) and Carl Joseph (80th) completed the goal feast.
Dayrells Road will have to play their next match without Curtis Odle and Corey Taitt, who were ejected in the 80th and 86th minutes by referee Edwin Adams for serious foul play and using abusive and insulting language, respectively.
On Saturday, Cosmos moved clear of the relegation territory with a vital 1-0 victory over DirecTV Paradise as Tre Hinds shot past stand-in goalkeeper Delandro Belgrave.
Paradise, who were missing first choice goalkeeper Jason Boxhill and defender Andre Bourne, were reduced to ten men in the 59th minute after defender Tito Beckles committed his second bookable offence.
In the opening game, Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame beat the struggling Youth Milan 2-1.
Dwayne Mars (26th) and Kadeem Atkins (84th) scored the goals for the Dames, whose defender Leon Todd conceded an own goal in the 75th minute.
Both teams had a player sent off as Dames’ Giancarlo Cobham and Milan’s Travis Hinds were red-carded in the 55th minute by referee Trevor Taylor following a fracas which started when Cobham retaliated after being fouled by Shane Hinds.
