The SKNFA Premier League shifted into high gear on Sunday with eight goals scored in two matches. The second of Sunday’s doubleheader saw a six-goal thriller between St. Peters FC and Honda Newtown United in an entertaining 3-3 draw. Shevene Boston scored the first goal of a brace in the 6th minute; a stunning strike from yards out to give St. Peters an early lead. But that lead was short-lived after Akimba Lawrence headed an equalizer from a corner kick in the 11th min. Not to be daunted, St. Peters pressed for another lead, which they got in the 34thminute after Boston again, flicked in a nifty shot in the 18-yard box. But Newtown was not to be denied and equalized from the penalty spot through former St. Peters player Shaheem Prentice, who incidentally won the penalty in the first place.
It was 2-2 at the half and both teams, after the break, pressed to get the lead. It was St. Peters to strike first through Julan Gordon in the 68th minute. But just like last week against St. Paul’s, St. Peters once again gave up the lead in the dying moments of the game. Deneilson Thomas cut through the final third and notched a pass from Newtown captain Yohannes Mitcham into the back of the net, to rescue a draw for the East Basseterre outfit, in the 5th minute of stoppage time. After the match, St. Peters Coach Austin Huggins said, his team has to be strong mentally if they are to avoid giving up last-minute goals that are costing them the full three points. “We need to get more mentally involved in the game. In the dying moments, I think we lose concentration too easily. Guys still playing like the game just started, whereas we need to be a little more tactical and be able to be in a position where we can get the three points,” Huggins said.
Coach Anthony Nets Isaac of Newtown said they made some fundamental mistakes giving away cheap goals. “I feel we gave up too much space and gave up two easy goals,” he said while praising the extra work done in training for their resilience. “It’s the work that we put in at training…is helping us late in games to come back,” he disclosed.
In Sunday’s earlier match, Rams Village Superstars got a comfortable 2-0 victory over Jones Group Sandy Point FC. Sandy Point’s Dion Taylor scored an own goal in the 37th minute and Caaja Burhmam scored in the 72nd minute to seal the win for Village. Village Assistant Coach Vaughn Patrick assessed the match. “We are thankful for the win but the more goals the better,” Patrick said.
For Sandy Point’s assistant coach Kenneth Douglas, it’s back to the drawing board. “Our objective is to stay in the premier division…we have to keep going. We have five more games in the first round; we have to keep going at it,” Douglas said, noting that he believes the team will do well and remain in the premier league.
The SKNFA Premier League will go on a break this week as the 2023 FA Cup preliminary round begins. It’s also an international break week as the Senior Men’s national team return to Concacaf Nations league action on the 23rd and 27.
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