Savannah join Cavs in premiership
SAVANNAH FC will grace the nation’s top football league for the first time in their history after they sent Volvo crashing out of the JFF All-Island play-offs with two games to spare after a 1-0 win at Drax Hall yesterday.
Segree Murray netted the game’s only goal 12 minutes from time, as the Westmoreland team climbed to nine points from four games, three behind Cavalier, who they will join in next season’s Premier League competition.
Both Volvo and New Green are on one point each cannot catch Savannah’s nine points with just two games remaining.
Savannah’s coach Audley Thomas said they earmarked this match as the game they needed to win and they went all out to get the points.
He also credited player/coach, Quandrie Quarrie, for the team’s success and is confident that the team will make the transition to the top-flight for next season.
Noting that they will be the only western team in the league and so he expects a lot of experienced players from surrounding parishes to join them.
“Reno is out (of premier league) and most of the western players will now look to Savannah to play in the premier league,” he said.
He also praised MP Wykeham McNeil for his support of the team and invited others to come on board and help to push the team further.
“But I have to lift my hat to Quandrie Quarrie, he started this thing and invited me to do the final lap and we have done it. Westmoreland has done,” he beamed.
“Now all we have to do in the first year in the premier league is maintain our status,” he said.
In a lacklustre first-half, Volvo showed the early initiative, without being really dangerous, though it was they who had the best chance of the half. But goalkeeper Neil Williams was quick off his line to deny Delmar Brown.
Ten minutes into the second-half, Volvo had another good chance but captain Chris Green could not direct his header on target from 12 yards.
The hosts came to life in the last 20 minutes of play and looked the more likely to score, although Troy Marvelle missed a great opportunity for the visitors in the 73rd minute.
But 78 minutes Omar Evans’ long ball into the box found an unmarked Segree, who caught Tujai Shand off his line with a looping header.