Charlemont look to wrap up Ben Francis Cup title
CLARENDON PARK, Clarendon — Petersfield High will have it all to do today if they are to win their first senior football title and prevent Charlemont High from doing the same when the ISSA/Wata Ben Francis Knockout final resumes with the playing of the second half at Juici Field, starting at 3:00 pm.
Charlemont High led 2-0 at half time on Friday when heavy rains, which started late in the first half, flooded the field and prevented the playing of the second half.
Charlemont High, who are 45 minutes away from capping their best-ever football season with a title, got goals from Deron Wildman (13th) and Howard Barker (18th) to take a significant lead over the Westmoreland-based Petersfield High who were conceding for the first time in the competition.
It was a deserved lead for Charlemont High as they were the more enterprising of the two teams and showed more promise at the start on Friday, but it was Petersfield who first went closest to breaking the deadlock in 10th minute.
It took a last-ditch effort from central defender Shackeil Fuller to deny Petersfield as he cleared the ball off the goal line after Shawayne Barton had custodian Ajaye White beaten.
Charlemont, in counting their blessings, notched the goal two minutes later when goalkeeper Jeromey Monteith spilled a cross from Renardo Brown and Wildman was on hand to slot home.
They doubled the lead five minutes later when Brown again played provider with a telling pass from the right channel to Barker, who fired home from inside the 18-yard box.
The heavens opened immediately after and the many Charlemont fans and their principal Garth Gayle, who were on hand to witness the display, may have thought it was a signal of the opening of the floodgates of goals.
However, despite camping out in Petersfield’s half, Charlemont failed to make the most of their dominance in possession as they created very few chances to add to their tally.
Their best chance for the remainder of the first half came in the 40th minute when Barker was allowed to get a shot off at the far post from another Brown cross, but custodian Monteith stood tall and turned the ball outside the right upright.
