It’s Violet Kickers vs Reggae Youths in Sandals/ATL/Honda Senior League final
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Former champions Violet Kickers and Reggae Youths will contest the final of the St James Football Association’s Sandals/ATL/Honda Senior League after contrasting return-leg semi-final victories at Jarrett Park on Friday.
Violet Kickers produced their best game of the season to beat the high-riding Montego Bay United Under-21, 3-0 for a 5-3 aggregate to overturn a 3-2 first-leg deficit, while Reggae Youths advanced to their first Senior League final after beating Little Miami 4-2 on aggregate after they had played out a 2-2 aggregate score over the two legs.
The two-way final will be played tomorrow and Sunday at Jarrett Park, and the winner on aggregate will qualify for next season’s Western Confederation Super League.
On Friday after losing the first leg 1-0, a last-minute goal from Androcle Poiser gave two time finalists Little Miami a 2-1 victory to force extra time with the scores tied at 2-2.
The teams were scoreless up to the 79th minute when Odean Spence gave Little Miami the lead, but Javian Bailey who had scored for Reggae Youths in the first game, pulled his team level five minutes later to restore his team’s advantage.
Poiser then found the 90th-minute goal to force extra time but after neither team was able to find the winner it came down to penalties and Reggae Youths prevailed.
Despite another pair of red cards near the end, Violet Kickers frustrated a young and fit Montego Bay United team with a well organised defence and hitting on the counter attack.
The game was marred late when tempers flared and Violet Kickers’ Stivel Peters and Montego Bay United’s Tevin Kerr were both sent off; by then, however, the game was over with Violet Kickers well ahead.
Andrew Walker scored in the 31st and 34th minutes to give Violet Kickers their third 2-0 first half lead over Montego Bay United Under 21 this season, but unlike the previous two occasions including the first leg semi-finals, Montego Bay United could not come back, and Dominic Brissett’s 56th- minute goal killed the game as a contest,
All three goals came from crosses from the wings. Walker’s first tied the scores at 3-3 on aggregate and his second three minutes later gave them the lead which they did not relinquish.
Brissett locked the tie early in the second half as the Violet Kickers team then pulled players behind the ball to secure their victory.