Union Samba forged ahead of the other teams in the Southern Football Association (SFA) Big Four Round Robin Tournament with a 3-2 triumph over Pitchmen at Skinner Park in San Fernando on Saturday (October 26) night.
The other Big Four contest between Union Hall United and Mascall FA ended in a 3-3 tie at the same venue.
With the winner to be determined by the team with the most points after three matches each, the win left the Samba men on three points while United and Mascall FA have a point each. Pitchmen will have the most work to do with zero points.
In the opening match of the doubleheader, Jamali Barclay fired the Samba men ahead in a tense battle to give his team the advantage in the 31st minute. Captain Irvin Williams left his marker behind with a sudden burst of speed that took him byline. And when he centred, Barclay was right on the spot to hit the ball firmly past the stranded goalkeeper for the 1-0 lead.
Later, Williams again used his speed to push his team two goals ahead in the 39th minute. Though challenged by a crowd of defenders, the towering Union Samba midfielder forced his way inside the goal area before slotting the ball beyond the grasp of the advancing Pitchmen custodian.
Leading 2-0 after the halftime interval, the Pitchmen reduced the scoreline when Akinola Gregory raced into the penalty area to connect on a left-side cross in the 76th minute. With the goal lifting their confidence, the La Brea men tried for the equalising item in the moments that followed but instead conceded a third goal.
This time Dick made no mistake from the penalty spot for a 3-1 scoreline that pushed them ahead by two goals. The Pitchmen though had the last say three minutes into time added on.
From an infringement that forced the referee to point to the penalty spot, Nathaniel Dyer stepped up and sent the goalie in the wrong direction. But though the goal reduced the score by one, it was Union Samba that left the field celebrating.
In the other match, Jequan Bailey scored a double strike to push Union Hall United ahead in the 12th and 16th minutes. The diminutive striker was first served a ball down the left flank, where he had the space to cut inside to hit the ball low between the legs of the Mascall FA goalkeeper.
Later, Bailey raced on to another through ball but received much-needed help when the goalkeeper allowed the ball to fall through his hands, and Bailey had the simple task of hitting the ball into the empty net.
However, Matthew Lee Cummings levelled the scores with penalties in the 31st and 60th minutes.
During the run of play, the advantage swung back into United’s favour when lanky defender Jeremiah capitalised on a mix-up between the Mascall defender and goalkeeper, and he fired the loose ball into the empty net for a 3-2 lead.
The game seemed to be heading for a 3-2 win for United when a thumping shot from Williams took a deflection off a defender and flew into the United goal for a 3-3 result.
