Last season’s beaten finalists, the Stallion Republic of Taylor Hall, were stunned by Rex Warriors in their first game of this season’s Sagicor UWI Guild Champions League last Friday.
Last season’s beaten finalists, the Stallion Republic of Taylor Hall, were stunned by Rex Warriors in their first game of this season’s Sagicor UWI Guild Champions League last Friday.
Both teams started out playing a passing game, doing their best to possess the football and entertain the large ‘Friday Night Football’ crowd.
They effectively cancelled each other out in midfield in what was a physical contest as both teams fought for territorial dominance.
Both defensive units were able to keep their opponents in front of them as the goalkeepers remained unduly challenged in the first half.
The Stallions started the second half a more purposeful unit seizing control of the game as their midfield showed they were suddenly up to the task. Ceyan Francis had three consecutive chances in a five minute spell to put the Taylorites ahead.
First he was played through behind the Warriors defence but the advancing keeper closed the space quickly and blocked his effort. Francis got behind the defence again but took an extra touch which took him away from the goal and cause his effort to go wide. Francis’ third effort was a shot just over the top.
The Warriors breathed a sigh of relief, but their resistance was broken shortly after when a brilliant passing sequence by the Stallions, involving Oshea Montique and Jevaughn Harrison, resulted in Harrison crossing to the near post where the fast arriving Giovanni Greenword nodded home at the near post to put the Stallions 1-0 up.
Firmly in control of the game and not really threatened by what the Warriors had to offer offensively, a defensive lapse by the Stallions let their opponents back into the game. Norman Mills ran onto a loose ball in the Stallion area and blasted past Neo Oxford in goal, to draw his team level.
Realizing that there was little time left, the Stallions launched a series of attacks on the Warriors goal having three shots blocked in succession.
Their aggressive play left holes at the back and Oxford was called into action on a couple of occasions, first he had to go high to his right to parry a volley that was goal bound, then he did well to block with his feet to keep the scores tied at 1-1.
The final whistle meant the dreaded penalty kicks for the third time in the competition.
The Warriors would hold their nerve in the shootout winning 4-3 as the Stallions stumbled from the spot.
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