The semi-finals of the Magnum JN KSAFA Super League will be a Zone A affair, as all four qualifiers sent their opponents from Zone B packing in quarter-final matches on Saturday and Sunday.

Zone A winners Barbican FC remained on course to retain their title and third-place finishers Molynes United FC ousted last year’s beaten finalists Brown’s Town, as both clubs sealed their spots in the semi-finals of the Magnum JN KSAFA Super League with quarter-final wins on Saturday night.

On Sunday, Real Mona FC and Meadforest FC continued the trend, each scoring two goals on the way to securing a path to the championship.

The only unbeaten team this season, Barbican FC, rallied from a goal down to defeat Santos FC 2-1 in the feature game of the double-header. The Carlton Spanner Dennis-coached Santos FC jumped into the lead on Shelton McPherson’s goal.

However, the Chris James-coached Barbican roared back to secure the win with goals from Romaine Hosang and Maurice Wilson.

“I would always tell you that once Santos and “Spanner” come into any game they’re going to be well organised, so I expected a very tough game,” said James of their match against the fourth-placed Zone B finishers. “We should have put away the chances early, but we gave up a cheap goal and gave them some hope. But in the end, we prevailed.”

James noted that the semis is a new ball game.

“The last four teams, all of them came from Zone A, which means we start over again now,” he assessed. “Barbican will play Real Mona. We played them twice, but the results don’t mean anything at this time because this is a knockout and it’s a matter of who wants it more. It’s going to be competitive with both semi-finals.”

Brown’s Town, based on their form all season and beingrunners-up in Zone B, were expected to give a better account of themselves but were shown the door by Molynes United FC, who prevailed on a goal from regular scorer Patrick Shecklude.

Zone A teams extended their winning sequence on Sunday night, highlighted by the largely unexpected 2-1 victory by newly promoted Meadforest FC, who finished fourth in the preliminaries, over Zone B winners Central Kingston FC, who had been piping hot with wins and goals while playing some good, attractive football all season.

Ian Davis (29th minute) and Dillon Edwards (35th) handed the Karume Huie-coached Meadforest a comfortable 2-0 lead in the first half.

Central Kingston halved the deficit six minutes into the second when talented Ronaldo Henry buried a penalty at the 51st minute, awarded for a handball from a thunderous shot off a partially cleared corner kick.

Meadforest, however, did not flinch, as they stayed composed and played a better team game to create the only clear chances between then and the end of a game they largely had under control, against a Central Kingston team that panicked with easy-to-defend route one play, consistent lack of numbers in attack and countless, unnecessary foul tackles.

“I feel great enuh (you know), personally, because — first and foremost — yesterday was my birthday, give thanks for life. But I told my team, I don’t want this for any birthday; mek we play and continue playing for Meadforest,” Huie said after the encounter that ended close to 11.

“At half-time I told them they’re going to come. With any team, it’s a quarter-final, semi-final, or final; you don’t have any game after this if you lose. so maybe the goal (conceded) was unfortunate, but what I liked about what we did is we never panicked — we stood tall and we started gradually putting back the ball on the ground,” added Huie.

While Meadforest quietly celebrated, much of Central Kingston’s team was up in arms, apart from their characteristically calm coach, Vincent “Bigga” Watson. Nonetheless, he was a disappointed man.

“I feel bad man. To know that we have one of the better teams and we’re out, I feel a way,” he said.

“We never expected to feel this way, but the indiscipline from the players, that was one of the main things (why we lost),” he expressed. “Everybody’s pointing a finger on the next man — is not so ball game go. [It’s] team, teamwork, teamwork. We have to have teamwork, no matter what, because is long time we playing ball. Teamwork make the dream work.”

Meanwhile, Real Mona FC’s second generation delivered the goods in a 2-0 win over demoted Premier League team Boys’ Town FC. Jordan Moses (eighth minute) and Remmoy Phillips (17th), sons of former stalwarts Peter Moses and Rennie Phillips, respectively, netted the goals that thrust Real Mona into the semis, ensuring a clean sweep of the four spots by Zone A teams.