SHOCK EXITS AND STUNNING GOALS: THRILLING FA CUP SEMIFINALS

SETBasseterre, St. Kitts – The 2025 SKNFA FA Cup quarterfinals produced a weekend of thrilling drama at Warner Park, highlighted by stunning upsets and memorable performances.On Saturday, May 10, tournament shockwaves were felt when Premier League leaders Azul Cayon Rockets were eliminated by Division 1 side SKELEC Garden Hotspurs, falling 2-1 in a tense encounter. Mhorajihat Hajarie opened the scoring for Spurs in the 27th minute. Cayon responded in the second half, levelling the match in the 49th minute through a brilliant free kick from Vinceroy Nelson.

But the game’s defining moment came in the 87th minute, when Marvin McSheene launched a speculative effort from just past the halfway line following a stoppage for injury. Cayon goalkeeper Kai Trotman misjudged the bounce, and despite a desperate attempt, the ball crossed the line. The stadium erupted—Spurs fans in wild celebration, Cayon supporters in stunned silence. Nine minutes of added time followed, but Cayon could not recover.

Spurs coach Stephen Clarke hailed his team’s discipline and commitment: “First of all, I must say congrats to the fellas. They really worked hard, they really put in the effort, they did exactly what we asked them to do. And we came out with a victory,” he said.

With the victory, Garden Hotspurs become the only Division 1 team remaining in the competition, advancing to the semifinals. Earlier that evening, S.L. Horsford St. Paul’s Unitedcame from behind to defeat Tropical Blossom Hotspring Bath United 3-2. Bath took a 1-0 lead through Chris Jeffers in the 19th minute. However, St. Paul’s dominated the second half, with Vyhonrai Francis scoring twice (48’, 55’) and Jovaughn Leader adding a third just minutes later. Bath responded through Dejal Myers, who netted a spectacular bicycle kick, but it wasn’t enough.

The FA Cup quarterfinal action began on Friday, May 9, with defending champions MFCR Old Road United Jets falling 2-1 to Rams Village Superstars. Returning star Tiquanny Williams put Old Road ahead in the 39th minute. But the lead was short-lived, as Village responded with goals from Caaja Burnham (79′) and Kimaree Rogers (82′) to turn the tie around.

That match was followed by a thrilling battle between SOL IAS Conaree FC and Development Bank St. Peters FC, which ended 1-1 in regulation and was decided by penalties. Javern Matthew gave Conaree the lead in the 47th minute, but an own goal from Keondre Maynard in the 78th minute brought St. Peters level. In the shootout, Conaree’s goalkeeper made a critical stop from Julan Gordon to secure the win.

Conaree coach Al Richards commended his team for a solid all-round performance: “I think we had a good game tonight, overall; defensively, offensively. Apart from the mishap with the own goal, I think I’m satisfied with the result tonight,” he said.

Goalscorer Javern Matthew emphasized the team’s resilience and unity: “We remained focused to the very end; encouraged each other to be confident on the ball and finish and have faith in ourkeeper,” he said.

St. Peters head coach Austin “Dico” Huggins reflected on the missed opportunity: “Well, it wasn’t really what we wanted exactly. But the takeaway is that the game is not done until the final whistle blows. But I think the second half, we tend to relax a bit and allow Conaree to keep coming at us…because they were already one up, we can’t sit back and invite any pressure. So we were not really pressing as hard as we should,” he said.

Semifinal Fixtures – Tuesday, May 13 at Warner Park

• 6:30 PM – Rams Village Superstars vs SOL IAS Conaree FC

• 8:30 PM – S.L. Horsford St. Paul’s United vs SKELEC Garden Hotspurs

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