On Sunday, Gros Islet emerged as champions of the SLFA Inc. Northern Zone Under-20 Men’s District Tournament, delivering a dominant performance by defeating La Clery 2-0 in the finals held at the Marchand Grounds.
Gros Islet scored on either side of halftime to secure their victory.
Rickelme Lionel opened the scoring in the 15th minute after showcasing impressive interplay with Shevon Byron. Lionel finished the tournament as the leading scorer, netting a total of 11 goals.
Despite La Clery’s attempts to equalize late in the second half, their efforts were thwarted when the assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside. Dervaj Edward sealed Gros Islet’s win with a powerful shot into the net in the 89th minute.
The championship highlighted Gros Islet’s offensive strength, with the team concluding the tournament with 31 goals scored and only four conceded—two of those goals coming from a 2-1 loss to La Clery in the preliminary round. The previous loss was the only blemish for La Clery, who had previously won four group matches and the semifinals before facing Gros Islet.
Gros Islet’s assistant coach, Darren Gaspard, praised the team for their heart and determination.
“They came in there with the heart and the desire to fight for this victory. They have been putting in the work in training week in and week out,” he said in a post-match interview.
Gaspard noted that while a few key players were absent from the squad due to national duties during the preliminary loss to La Clery, their return made a significant difference.
“We knew with all those four players coming in, it would not be easy for them coming up against us on this ground,” he remarked.
He also explained that the team’s strategy for the finals involved utilizing a wider playing surface: “We attack from the wide areas. Our game plan was to dominate the midfield and keep them under constant pressure with a high-intensity game and quick pressing.”
In the third-place playoff, Babonneau triumphed over Marchand in a penalty shoot-out, recovering from a previous 10-0 loss in the semifinals.
Results: Primary Schools Boys Under 12 District League
Additionally, Marchand and Anse La Raye were among the early winners as the first stage of the SLFA Inc. Primary Schools Boys Under 12 District League competition concluded on Saturday, April 11.
Marchand secured their position at the top of the North Group with an impressive 10-0 victory over La Clery at the Grande Riviere Playing Field in Gros Islet. Goals for Marchand were scored by Jamal Edward (3rd and 6th minutes), Jaheim Alfred (13th and 25th minutes), and Naran Small (27th and 36th minutes). Keylan St. Juste added to the tally in the 8th minute, while Zaydan Joseph (48th minute), Messiah John (55th minute), and Nyiem Emmanuel (4th minute of added time) each found the back of the net.
Anse La Raye also advanced to the second stage after a hard-fought 2-0 victory over South Castries, with goals from Shervin Charles (3rd minute) and Jedd Desir (57th minute).
Please note that the scheduled matches at the Technical Centre in Grande Rivière, Dennery, did not take place.
