Football

Unrelenting UWI marches on in KSAFA Super League

by
yardie
March 17, 2014

Photo: Mahaish Alexander of Real Mona battles UWI goal scorer Richard Crooks for the ball during the KSAFA Super League game on Saturday, the UWI won the game 1-0.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) Pelicans began the second round of the KSAFA Super League with a 1-0 derby win over Real Mona at the UWI Bowl on Saturday, March 16th, to maintain their unbeaten run in the competition.

Photo: Mahaish Alexander of Real Mona battles UWI goal scorer Richard Crooks for the ball during the KSAFA Super League game on Saturday, the UWI won the game 1-0.

The game was played in wet, slippery conditions following a heavy downpour shortly before kick-off which made the conditions soft underfoot. UWI were notching up their fourth win in six games as they push for a place in the knock-out phase of the competition.

The home team got off to a quick start, dominating the early exchanges and were ahead in only the 9th minute of the game when Richard Crooks fired home at the near post beating Kenrick Picnite in the Real Mona goal, after a quick left sided build up.

Stung into action, Real Mona got their first shot on target from former UWI player Matthew Christie, whose fierce left-footed drive was palmed away for a corner by Simon Bennett in the UWI goal.

The UWI continued to dominate the half with the lively pair of Jeffery Brown and Akeem Thenstead up front, giving the Real Mona defenders a proper workout.

The best chance of the half for the visitors fell to Khalil Johnson shortly before the break. The striker was given time and space to control and turn in the area. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, UWI skipper Owen ‘Braddy’ Hill provided a last ditch tackle to avert the danger for the home team.

The UWI came out flat in the second half and the visitors took full advantage with midfield trio of Hilary Wray, Omar Teape and Mahaish Alexander stringing passes together and pushing the home team back.

Despite being on the back foot, the UWI had the first chance of the second half when Thenstead was played in behind the defence on the left side. The former Tivoli Gardens player, under pressure from Shaliek Dawkins, dragged his left footed effort wide of the far post.

Bennett in the UWI goal, pulled off the save of the match in the 60th minute, when a goal bound effort from Johnson was tipped by him, over the post for a corner kick.

Ten minutes later another chance fell to Johnson when he benefitted from a knock down in the box. He rushed his effort and blazed his shot over the bar to the agony of his teammates. Real Mona were knocking on the door as they pushed the home team deeper and deeper into their area.

Ten minutes from time another chance went a begging for the visitors. Second half substitute, Kitwana Lawrence failed to make contact with the ball following a beautifully floated free kick into the area from Dawkins as Bennett remained rooted on his line.

UWI had a chance to kill off the game with six minutes to go following a quick counter attack. The break was led by substitute Jhoivanne Howard who passed Mark McKoy who found Thenstead in space on the edge of the area. Thenstead chose to control instead of taking the effort one time and was closed down by the Real Mona defence.

Johnson who was having a nightmare in front of goal for Real Mona, had the last chance of the game to snatch a point for his team but his near post header went wide of the target.

In the end the UWI were grateful for the win and another clean sheet.

Speaking with Yardie Sports at the end of the game UWI coach Marcel Gayle said, “It was a workman like performance. The team didn’t play our usual passing game but we did enough to win. In the second half we became more concerned with closing out the game and less with trying to get the killer goal. That allowed Real Mona back into the game but we are happy with the clean sheet and three points in the end.”