Defenders?are the new kings of pool in?Barbados.
They ended the Mount Gay Silver 8-Ball League Tournament on a high by dethroning Eastern Sports Club in an exciting final 6-3 at Police Sports Club at Weymouth last Sunday.
A tactical move by Defenders by replacing Whitfield Gooding with star player Shane Sealy at a stage when they were down 1-3, made the difference to the outcome of the Barbados Pool Development Organization tournament.
Eastern’s Erskine Inniss and William Howell were out first playing Defenders’ Gregory Phillips and Damien Catlin. Philips beat Inniss 3-1 while Howell defeated Catlin 3-0.
Up next were doubles players Damien Batson and Julian Slater of Defenders but they lost to Emmerson Darlington and Ivan Holder of Eastern. Randy Brathwaite of Eastern then beat Defenders’ Wayne Jordan 3-2.
At this point, Defenders were in trouble, trailing Eastern three matches to one but they decided it was time to turn the tables by substituting Sealy for Gooding. It was a strategy that paid off as Sealy came from two games down to beat Gregory Gibson 3-2.
This victory seemed to be the motivation the Defenders needed because they won the next four games to comfortably win the match.
Defenders’ female player Keisha Calderon dismissed Christine Joseph 3-1; Renny Hitlall beat Vernon Austin 3-1, Defenders’ captain Kyle Goddard blanked Cyprian Graham in fine style 3-0 and Stephen Cox prevailed over beat the experienced Wayne “Puff out” Browne 3-1 to seal the deal for Defenders.
In the third-place match on Saturday at Clara’s Hide-A-Way, Four Roads, St. Philip, Police defeated Kangaroos 6-2.
Shirlon Spooner and David Davis of Police were up first defeating Gavin Misir and Alan Small by 3-1 margins. Doubles’ players Sydney Griffith and Edward Douglas of Kangaroos lost to Andrew Springer and Ian Maynard 2-3.
Jeffrey Scott and Kevin Williams of Police beat Shawn Lashley and Dwayne Douglas 3-2 and 3-1 respectively but their teammate Randy Dixon lost to Corey Haynes 3-0. Paige Denny of Police won her women’s match by default and David Cox wrapped up victory for Police by defeating Ryan Ward 3-1. (EZS)
