WESTMORELAND DERBY
FROME, Westmoreland — Westmoreland rivals Sandals Whitehouse and Savannah SC will meet in Sunday’s mid-season final of the Jamaica Football Federation’s Charley’s
JB Rum Western Confederation Super League at the Frome Sports Club, set to start at 3:00 pm.
It will be the second time the teams are meeting in less than two weeks after Savannah SC scored a mild 1-0 upset win over Sandals Whitehouse in their rescheduled first round game played at Frome last week Thursday.
The teams secured their places in the final after finishing at the top of the points tables, following contrasting results in Tuesday’s final round of matches in the first round.
Sandals Whitehouse blanked Salt Marsh United
2-0 at Whitehouse to finish the round with 27 points, while Savannah SC were second on 24 points, after coming from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with Wadadah FC at the UDC playfield in Montego Bay.
Granville FC were a point behind and just missed out on a place in the final after being held 0-0 at home by Jericho Rangers, while Wadadah FC finished fourth on 22 points.
Savannah SC will hold a psychological edge going into Sunday’s game after their 1-0 win over Sandals Whitehouse, then clawing their way back from 2-0 loss against a good Wadadah FC team in Montego Bay.
On Tuesday, they kept their composure and poise and despite giving up two goals in the first 30 minutes, could have won the game were it not for some poor finishing against a tired Wadadah FC team.
Ron Daley who scored the tying goal on Tuesday, Michael Kerr and Leaton Galloway will lead the Savannah SC attack against a tough Sandals defence.
On paper Sandals Whitehouse has scored
more goals — 28 and conceded less — eight, but lost twice in three games and must prove their mettle against tough teams in big games.
Dervin Campbell has scored on a regular basis, and along with Ronniel Whyte and Damion Wynter, will seek to hand Sandals their first title at this level.
On Tuesday, Calvin Blake
in the 27th minute
and Campbell in the 65th minute secured Sandals Whitehouse’s place in the finals as they rebounded from their loss to Savannah SC last Thursday.
In Montego Bay, Wadadah FC who would have advanced to the finals if they had managed to hold on against Savannah SC, looked well on their way with two strikes in the first half hour.
It was a nightmarish start for the Savannah SC goalkeeper, as he slipped in the seventh minute and allowed Wadadah FC’s Tyshan Hill to walk the ball into the goal.
In the 30th minute he blocked a free kick with his chest while kneeling, but was slow to gather the rebound and Wadadah FC’s Oshane Forbes was first to react, kicking the ball into the goal.
Savannah SC quickly pulled one back five minutes later, when Leroy Taylor converted a penalty kick.
Savannah SC came out more attacking in the second half and soon pulled level when Daley finished off a good move by volleying home from close range from a pass lofted into the 18 yards box by Davion Thorpe.
Kerr should have finished off the game in the 65th minute when he had the Wadadah FC goalkeeper at his mercy, but switched the ball to his stronger left foot instead of lobbing the out of position custodian.
He had another chance late in the game, but shot well wide of the target.
Meanwhile, Beaches Negril are out of the relegation zone for the first time after a 1-0 win over last-placed Violet Kickers at Long Bay Beach Park, taking them to eighth place — on goal difference — over Holland United, both on 11 points.
Leva Kessnor scored the winner for Beaches Negril in the 62nd minute, as they picked up their third win of the campaign.
Holland also got their
third win, beating 10-man Tomorrow’s People 3-1 at Elleston Wakeland playfield in Falmouth.
The game was all but decided in a four-minute span in the first-half, when Holland scored twice and Tomorrow’s People were reduced to 10 players.
An own goal gave Holland United the lead in the 31st minute and a minute later Fabian Rowe was given marching orders.
Two minutes later, Ronique Haynes doubled Holland United’s lead.
Phillip McDonald pulled one back for Tomorrow’s People in the 61st minute to give them some hopes of at last a draw, but Stephen Bromwell restored Holland United’s two goals lead in the 79th minute.