Maverley/Hughenden cop Charley’s JB
Maverley/Hughenden FC defeated Browns Town FC 2-0 to win the Charley’s JB Rum/Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Super League Midseason Final in the feature game of a doubleheader at the Constant Spring mini-stadium last Friday night.
Maverley/Hughenden received a cheque for $20,000 for winning the Midseason Final with goals from Wayne Williams in the 16th minute and a 65th-minute penalty from Phillip Peddie. At the end of the match, KSAFA President, Ambassador AB Stewart Stephenson and the sponsor’s representative, Pietro Gramegna, were on hand to present the symbolic cheque to the winners.
Following the curtain raiser when two goals from Delanta Pottinger in the 71st and Narado Prawl in the 80th minutes also carried Rockfort FC to a similar 2-0 win against Santos FC, the stands filled up. And the teams never disappointed their fans with a good, competitive game that saw Browns Town controlling play for the first half.
Yet, it was the enterprising Maverley who sent their full stands of supporters into raptures with a goal after escaping the shackles by Browns Town in their own half.
The goal seemed to relax Maverley a bit but Browns Town continued to look dangerous. However, the Maverley defence was well marshalled by Kasai Hinds and the score remained unchanged at the break. On the resumption, both teams went at each other with hammer and thongs but it was Maverley/Hughenden, kicking down the slope, who drew first blood in the second half by drawing a penalty after 20 minutes.
Winning coach Lijaysu Simms was heartened by the victory. “This is for the community. Something like this was long in coming and as you can see the players redoubled their efforts to make it possible. Following the loss against Real Mona, we went back to the drawing board and tonight was the result of the awakening,” Simms said.
Ten minutes later, the competitiveness of the game dipped as the Browns Town goalkeeper Kemar Crawford was sent to the hospital following a collision with an opposing player after both went to intercept a byline cross from the corner flag.