Sports
Roneil Walcott
Defence Force and the Grenada national team continued their winning ways in the Women Warriors Wellness (3Ws) Cup on August 8 when they got contrasting semifinal victories at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo to advance to the August 10 final.
In the first semifinal, Defence Force locked horns with a youthful and competitive Pro Series team and showed their experience and superior quality to get a 4-0 win. In the second semi, Grenada and outgoing champions Club Sando were involved in an end-to-end battle, with the Grenadians just getting a 3-2 victory after their star attacker Nia Fleming-Thompson sealed the game with a penalty in second-half stoppage-time. Fleming-Thompson’s late penalty capped off a hat-trick performance which also cemented her third straight MVP award in the six-team tournament.
In the five-goal thriller, it was coach Angus Eve’s Sando team who got their noses in front first as Shenieka Paul glanced a near post header past goalie Jadsa Mark after meeting a left-side corner from Ahkeela Mollon in the 17th minute.
Sando took a 1-0 lead to halftime, but Grenada equalised in the 55th minute when Fleming-Thompson dispatched her first penalty of the encounter after TT national defender Victoria Swift was adjudged to have handled in the area.
It didn’t take long for Sando to respond, though, as the veteran Mollon rounded the goalkeeper to score in the 57th minute to make it 2-1 after receiving a slick through pass from skipper Karyn Forbes.
Sando goalkeeper Keri Myers was a hero in her team’s first game as she made a couple of saves in a shootout win against Guyana Defence Force. In the semifinals, though, Myers didn’t have her greatest outing and was culpable for Grenada’s second goal as a left-side cross from Cassima Langaigne slipped through her grasp to allow an eager Fleming-Thompson to tap in unattended at the far post in the 64th minute.
With the teams locked at 2-2 heading into second-half stoppage-time, both sets of players tried desperately to give their team the crucial goal. In the first minute of stoppage-time, talented TT youth attacker Orielle Martin sent a right-footed shot agonisingly over the bar after Afiyah Cornwall laid off a Mollon cross.
In the very next minute, Fleming-Thompson was brought down by a rash tackle from Myers in the penalty area and Grenada had the perfect chance to book their place in the final. Fleming-Thompson made no mistake and she sent a right-footer away to Myers’ left to give the Grenadian women the 3-2 win.
In the first game of the semifinal double-header, Defence Force got goals from four different players as they coasted to the win. Naomie Guerra opened the scoring in the fifth minute after a left-side corner from Asha James wasn’t dealt with. Ketara Munroe made it 2-0 in the 40th minute after link-up play between Alexcia Ali and last year’s MVP Nikita Gosine.
Gosine then scored a brilliant solo goal in the 59th minute, before Shanelle Arjoon scored in the 66th minute mere moments after coming off the bench.
From 7 pm on August 10, Defence Force will clash with Grenada in the final in Mucurapo, with Club Sando and Pro Series meeting in the third-place playoff from 5 pm.
