Real Mona Head Coach Neo Oxford projects boldness and confidence, and has brought added excitement to the Jamaica Women’s Premier League (JWPL). He, however, believes substandard officiating denied his young, rising team a fair fight against champions Frazsiers Whip, who won 5-0 in the first leg of the JWPL semi-finals last Saturday at the UWI-JFF/Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, The University of the West Indies.

Oxford has been showing his worth as a football coach. He proved doubters wrong by sending home last year’s semi-finalists Cavalier FC, guiding Real Mona into the top four of the top local women’s football league in his first season in the competition.

Oxford has footballing pedigree in his blood through his father Neville, who is considered one of the best to have played the game locally.

Real Mona, averaging 17 years old, fought hard, but were put in their place by three-time defending champions Frazsiers Whip.

“Today was a hard one; however, [I am] still very proud and honoured to have been able to lead this set of young ladies to become history-makers. [The final score] might have been 5-0, but we challenged them,” Oxford told the Jamaica Observer after the match.

He then launched into what he perceived to be bad calls by match officials.

“The football fraternity saw what we had to offer, and instead of doing it fairly, found another way to try and defeat us, and that’s through the officiating. Disgusting, if you ask me, and you wonder if it was in the male Premier League semi-final, would these mistakes just go away like that?

“However, we have a second leg to play. The girls are not disheartened; they are aware of where they are in their development and the mission remains the same,” Oxford said.

Frazsiers Whip once again showed that they are the top team in the island with another dominant display.

Shanel Smith led the way with a double, scoring in the 16th and 37th minutes. The JWPL top-scorer Christina Salmon got her 26th goal in minute 43, and further strikes by Nevillegail Able (66) and Riquanna Richards (86) put the two-legged tie to bed.

Head coach of Frazsier Whip Courtney Dowdie said he didn’t imagine such a huge lead heading into the second leg.

“But that’s the way of the game. When you turn up to play, good things can go your way,” he told the Observer.

“We played well for most of the game, and we created a lot of chances in front of the goal, but we did not take the opportunities. Also, I thought the Real Mona team played well, and that’s the type of game that really brings out the best in your team,” said Dowdie.