DEFENDING champions Axum whipped Rangers, 6-0, as the Captain's Bakery/St Mary Major League which kicked off at Gray's Inn last Saturday.

Oshane Dunkley scored in the seventh, 50th and 81st minutes for the winners, while Adrian Bender (60th), Michael Hinds (81st) and Devon Smith (90th) were also among the goals.

The opening game between last season's beaten finalists Galina and promoted team Gray's Inn ended 1-1. Gray's Inn went ahead in the 31st through Marlo Donalds, but the lead was short-lived as in the 42nd, Galina drew level through Ransford Saunders.

Meanwhile, financial controller of The Captain's Bakery, Wayne Saltau, expressed pleasure in their input towards the development of football in St Mary, but was not pleased with the absence of an official home ground for Premier League team Highgate FC.

"The Captains Bakery is by all means pleased to have been doing its part in developing football in St Mary for the past 12 years. However, I'm using this medium to appeal to the powers that be to acknowledge the importance of an official home ground for Highgate FC, the Premier League team which represents the parish at the highest level of football in the country to play home games so that the team can get to benefit from the gate receipts to be better able to handle the finances needed to support the team," he declared.

"I'm impressed by the level of support I see exhibited by the community members present here. It is obvious they are very hungry for football and would be more than happy to have Highgate FC playing their home games in their backyard instead of travelling outside of the parish," Saltau added.

The competition continues tomorrow with Albion Mountain vs Albany at Clemhard Park Sports Complex at 3:00 pm and Windsor vs Frazerwood at at Dover at the same time.

The nine teams competing in this season's competition are Axum, Rangers, Albany, Albion Mountain, Frazerwood, Galina, Gray's Inn, Star Cosmos and Windsor.