A highly anticipated showdown ended in a one-sided affair to Rendezvous who trounced Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame 4-0 at the Wildey, St Michael AstroTurf in the Digicel-sponsored Barbados Football Association’s Premier League last night.
Rendezvous star player Shandel Samuel did well to side step Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame Captain Renaldo Gilkes. (Pictures by Morissa Lindsay)
Many were of the view that in yesterday’s featured game, Notre Dame with the likes Giancarlo Cobham, Kyle Gibson and Shai Lloyd who were all apart of the victorious Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme team that won the 2015 championship, could have made an impact against the Rendezvous men who retained the services Vincentian striker Shandel Samuel and fellow countryman Romano Snagg in the midfield.
Instead Rendezvous sent early warning to Dame’s defence in the fifth minute of play when they failed to prevent Samuel from connecting on a ball that was placed beautifully by the veteran Gregory Goodridge from a left corner and found Samuel’s forehead for an early headed goal.
Snagg then joined the fun 21 minutes later and made it 2-0 thanks to a case of being in the right place at the right time. Notre Dame custodian Kareem Farrell made a hash of an attempted save and his clearance was pushed toward Snagg in the 18-yard box who only had to drill a powerful shot past the custodian in the 26th minute.
Notre Dame clearly were not gelling and they needed something special from one of their new boys who failed to produce a combination of good passes and that resulted in Rendezvous finishing the half with a commanding 2-0 lead.
In the second half there was a bit more precision in terms of passing and execution by Notre Dame but their slight knocks at Rendezvous’ door went unanswered thanks to former BDFSP star player Jabarry Chandler who did extremely well in the back for his new team.
Chandler and Goodridge defended extremely well and made life difficult for young Antone Greaves and stalwart Bryan Neblett who returned to play this season for the Bayland side after taking a break.
Samuel and Snagg ended the night with a bang with respective goals in the 58th and 59th minutes and there was nothing Shane Mottley and company could have done about it.
Weymouth Wales registered a 2-1 win against Mackeson Brittons Hill in the second encounter of the night. Striker Jomo Harewood give his side a 1-0 lead when Jamar Walters skillfully played the ball inside the box and utilized enough room offered to him by Brittons Hill who are without the services of Dwayne Stanford their leading goal scorer. Brittons Hill goalkeeper Rashad Ince left his mark and tackled Walters in an effort to prevent any threat at goal but the ball found Harewood who scored on the rebound in the 40th minute.
Mustafa Haqq (in red) played well but could not stop the mighty Wales from winning.
Walters then rewarded himself with a superb goal in the 43rd minute when Wales’ striker Hadan Holligan who had a good 2015 season made a clean pass on the right flank to Walters who was unmarked in the middle and the defender took a thunderous shot that curled past keeper Ince.
Mustafa Haqq managed to pull one back for Brittons Hill off a penalty kick in the 62nd but they could not find that all important equalizer. Meanwhile Empire welcomed themselves back into Premier League action with a 1-0 win over Belfield.