Primary school footballers overcome soggy pitch
Truth For Youth’s Tevin Ebanks (right in light blue) opened the scoring in the Under 11 game against St Ignatius Prep
(PFL): The welcome rain certainly did not dampen the players’ spirits this past Saturday, 24 October as the 2015/2016 CUC Primary Football League (PFL) and Girls’ Primary Football League (GPFL) regular seasons continued with the fourth round of play. The featured games in Group A at a soggy Annex Field included Truth For Youth’s clash with St. Ignatius Prep.
In the Under 9 encounter, young Jayden Verhoeven scored a hat trick and Kyan Okoil added a fourth just before half time for St Ignatius Prep as Truth For Youth could not find an answer to their opponents’ unstoppable offence. St Ignatius’ goalkeeper Liam Kehoe, who was given an opportunity to play on the field during the second half after sustaining a minor injury in the first half, grabbed his team’s fifth goal in the second half to record a 4-0 ‘mercy rule’-enforced victory for his school.
In the Under 11 game, Truth For Youth were out to gain revenge and raced into an early 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Tevin Ebanks and Keon Jennings. St Ignatius clawed their way back into the game just after halftime with Chad Owens scoring a splendid free kick from his own half, which eluded the unsuspecting Truth For Youth goalkeeper, thanks in part to a very wet surface.
Kai Hulse equalised late in the game for St Ignatius and just when it seemed that a deserved draw was imminent, Truth For Youth’s Marc Balbontin blasted a shot towards the goal that deflected off a St Ignatius defender before nestling in the corner of the net. Truth For Youth escaped from the Annex with the 3-2 win.
In other Group A games, it was Savannah Primary 1 vs. Cayman International School 0 (Under 9); Savannah Primary 2 vs. Cayman International School 1 (Under 11); and in a game played on Thursday, 22 October Sir John A. Cumber defeat Cayman Academy 3-1 (Under 11) in West Bay.
In the only Group B game played at the Annex Field, Red Bay Primary’s Under 11 boys defeated South Sound Schools with goals from Dequan Messam, Isaac Peart, Alejandro Holness and an own goal bringing the score to 4-0 before Bradley Erskine added his school’s fifth, which signalled the end of the scoring under the mercy rule and a final score of 4-0.
In other Group B games, it was Prospect Primary 4 vs. Triple C 1 (Under 9); Prospect Primary 4 vs. Triple C 0 (Under 11 – mercy rule); and Cayman Prep 4 vs. Cayman Brac 0 (Under 11 – mercy rule).
The Under 9 game between Red Bay Primary and South Sound Schools was postponed as was NorthEast Schools’ both games against Bodden Town Primary. The three games will be re-scheduled at a later date.
In Group A of the CUC Girls’ Primary Football League, it was Cayman International School 4 vs. Savannah Primary 0 (mercy rule enforced). In Group B, it was Prospect Primary 0 vs. Triple C 4 (mercy rule enforced).
The Group B game between NorthEast Schools and Bodden Town Primary was postponed and will be re-scheduled for a later date.
Special thanks once again to the youth referees who continue to do an excellent job with officiating the games for both the PFL and GPFL.
There are no games scheduled for this Saturday, 31 October as the private schools are on their mid-term break.
The regular season will resume on Saturday, 7 November with games being played at the Annex Field, Old Man Bay Field, Triple C, Prospect Primary and Cayman International School.
