OKG Rendezvous moved a step closer to their ultimate goal of playing football in the country’s highest league by clinching the Division 2 title on Tuesday night to add to their historic capture of the KFC?Champions Cup knockout crown.
But the star-studded Christ Church team endured their stiffest challenge of the past two years before coming from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with Mackeson Brittons Hill as the championship play-offs ended at Dover.
A first-half double strike by Terrance Coppin in the third and 20th minutes as well as excellent goalkeeping by Tennyson Mings put Brittons Hill in an excellent position to create an upset but Rendezvous fought back gallantly to share the spoils and end the four-team play-offs with seven points.
Rendezvous had made light work of their two other opponents, thrashing Crompston 6-1 and Porey Spring 5-1, but were put under early pressure by Brittons Hill.
Exciting 18-year-old striker Rommell Bynoe had an outstanding match for Brittons Hill, constantly causing problems for the Rendezvous defence, in tandem with Foundation schoolboy Nicholas Jones, Coppin and Zidkigah Samuel.
Bynoe, a product of the Deighton Griffith School, set up both goals for Coppin, who each time neatly placed the ball to the left of Brittons Hill goalkeeper Kerry Holder.
Veteran Edwin Brereton, who took on the role of sweeper, did a good job in keeping the Rendezvous’ attackers at bay while Mings came to the team’s rescue with some superb saves.
The pressure finally took it toll on Brittons Hill, with Shandel Samuel pulling a goal back for Rendezvous in the 70th minute before Romano Snagg kept Rendezvous’ two-year unbeaten record intact with his sixth goal of the title play-offs in the 77th minute.
Both teams were reduced to ten men in the 80th minute when Rendezvous’ captain Jeffrey Williams and Brittons Hill’s midfielder Ricardo Gay were red-carded by referee Edwin Adams.
In the opening match, Porey Spring blanked Crompton 3-0 to take second place and secure the second promotion spot to Division One next year.
Raymond Hope opened the scoring after 15 minutes and Jomo Harewood got a brace in the 33rd and 54th minutes.
