Western Confed prize for Boys Club
MONTEGO BAY, St James – Montego Bay Boys Club will play in the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Western Confederation Super League next season for the first time in their history.
This, after the club turned around a first leg deficit to beat North Gully Ambassadors (NGA) 3-0 in Sunday’s return leg final of the St James Football Association’s Sandals/ATL Group Senior League at Jarrett Park.
Two goals in a four-minute span in the first half from Glenroy Williams highlighted a commanding performance from the younger, fitter Boys Club team as they romped to a deserving 4-2 aggregate win over the NGA team which has several players well into their 30s and 40s.
After defying the odds to reach the finals, NGA had come from behind to win the first leg final against Boys Club, 2-1, thanks to two goals from Niklaus Barnes.
NGA had clinched their place in the finals by seeing off Little Miami in the semi-finals thanks to one moment of brilliance from former national midfielder Hector Wright.
Wright scored a 25-yard free kick late in the second period of extra time of the second game after NGA had held the free scoring Little Miami goalless over both legs of the semi-final.
Boys Club were more aggressive on Sunday and combined that element with speed on and off the ball to keep NGA on the backfoot, restricting them to just two real scoring chances.
North Gully Ambassadors ended the game with 10 players after Chrisal Watkins was sent off in the 85th minute.
After coming from behind in the first leg to win 2-1, NGA came into Sunday’s game full of confidence but were never allowed to settle as Boys Club went at them immediately seeking an early goal to tie up the scores on aggregate.
Curtis Sappleton missed North Gully’s first chance in the 12th minute when he curled a shot wide.
Boys Club hit back but were denied by goalkeeper Richard Harvey who saved a shot from Williams at point blank range, turning the ball over the post for a corner.
North Gully then forced Boys Club back in their own goal area forcing four consecutive corners but failed to score and paid dearly as Williams sent his team ahead in the 26th minute.
Williams shot through a crowd of players from the left side of the North Gully defence area and the ball hit the base of the post and scooted low past Harvey and across the line.
Four minutes later he managed to get behind the North Gully defenders and headed powerfully past the goalkeeper to give his team the lead for good.
Christie sealed the title just before half time when he latched on to a ball on the left side and curled it beautifully just out of reach of the diving goalkeeper into the far corner to silence the large group of North Gully supporters.
North Gully tried to rally in the second half, but except for a shot in the 61st minute that Boys Club’s goalkeeper Garrett Dennis was able to get behind and block with his chest, they failed to create any meaningful scoring opportunity.
Williams just failed to get his hat-trick when he was just high with a chipped shot in the 71st minute while Harvey also had two good saves late in the game.
