DEFENDING champions Couples Tower Isle showed they are the team to beat by defeating previously unbeaten Sandals Royal Plantation 3-0 in the Sandals St Ann/ Business House Football Competition feature match at Drax Hall on Sunday.

In the opening encounter, Jewels Runaway Bay and C&J Enterprise played to an exciting 3-3 draw.

Couples started strongly and were rewarded with the early gift of a defender’s goal. Top strikers Mauracio Gordon and Gregory Tate tested the Sandals Royal Plantation’s defence which stood firm for the rest of the half.

The Sandals team came out more determined in the second half, with Jaquan Lindo making a number of dribbles into the Couples goal area but unable to get pass the goalkeeper. Strikes from Aline Campbell and Landino Hibbert, however, sealed the issue for the rampant Couples team, which has now scored 28 goals in four matches. Sandals Royal Plantation had a chance to get back in the game but missed from the penalty spot.

In other matches last week, Sandals Ochi held favourites Gran Bahia Principe to a 1-1 draw, while Sandals Royal Plantation slammed Jewels Dunn’s River 6-2. Police defeated Jewels Runaway Bay 1-0 and Sandals Royal Plantation dumped Beaches Ocho Rios 6-1.

Sandals Regional Public Relations Manager Ian Spencer said he was pleased with the standard of play in the competition so far, and was looking forward to the teams taking it to an even higher level in the matches to come.