West Front Road’s Gold is Money were crowned the new Sparta Boss First Anniversary Knockout Football champs defeating Up-Top-Youths 2-1 via penalty kicks Friday at the Sparta Boss Tarmac in East La Penitence.
Scoreless at the end of regulation and normal time in front of a large gathering, Up-Top-Youths would be asked to take first strike from the penalty mark and made the worst possible start as they missed. Gold is Money would quickly capitalise as Michael Oie netted to take a 1-0 lead.
It would then go from bad to worse for Up-Top-Youths as they missed in their second attempt in the shape of Jermin Junior. This time, Gold is Money would fail to take advantage and seal the win as Randolph Wagner fired his effort wide of the left corner.
Up-Top-Youths would finally open their account in the third and final round as Devon Charles calmly placed his strike down the middle. With the crowd screaming contrasting remarks, Jamal Pedro would seal the title in emphatic fashion, burying his left footed dagger down the centre.
With the win, Gold is Money walked away with $400,000 and the championship trophy while the second placed unit received $200,000 and the runners-up accolade. In the third place fixture, Tiger Bay defeated North East La Penitence 1-0.
James Meredith scored the fixture’s only goal in the fifth minute, pouncing on a poor pass by the final defender before slotting his effort down the centre of the goal following a one-on-one situation just outside the top of the area.
Tiger Bay walked away with $100,000. In the earlier semi-final fixtures, eventual winners Gold is Money defeated North East La Penitence 2-1 via penalty kicks after normal and extra time finished 0-0.
Similar to the aforesaid finale, Gold is Money would take a 1-0 lead in the first round of kicks as North East La Penitence missed in the form of Shaquille Brown while Oie scored.
The score would then become 1-1 in the second round as Carl Tudor netted for North East La Penitence and Wagner missed for Gold is Money.
North East La Penitence would then hand Gold is Money the perfect opportunity to clinch the win as they missed in their third and final strike from the mark. Gold is Money would then grab the opportunity with both hands as Pedro calmly converted his effort to seal the win.
The second semi-final matchup saw Up-Top-Youths defeating Tiger Bay by a 2-1 margin. Antony Charles opened the scoring for the winners in the fifth minute, slotting into the empty net after the ball fell fortuitously into his path outside the left half of the penalty area.
Junior would then double their lead four minutes onward through a right footed strike from the right side of the turf following a swift counterattack.
Tiger Bay would eventually net a consolation goal in the 18th minute compliments of a Daren Harris first time finish, after latching onto a right sided pass on the left side of the field.
In the highly touted exhibition rematch between sponsors Sparta Boss and August Beverages, Sparta Boss prevailed by a 1-0 margin compliments of a Gregory Richardson strike. The other sponsor of the tournament was Rainbow Villas.
