Paradise and Ellerton played out a 0-0 stalemate in their highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash in the Barbados Football Association Premier League on Tuesday.
At the Wildey Technical Centre, the match started at a high tempo, with both sides trading end-to-end attacks. The first of several yellow cards was issued in the 14th minute, setting the tone for a tightly contested encounter.
The intensity continued through to halftime, with more cautions handed out, but neither team could break the deadlock.
An injury to Ellerton’s goalkeeper in the 50th minute, saw extensive treatment being administered before he was stretchered off and unable to continue. Another pivotal moment came in the 60th minute, when Paradise were reduced to ten men.
A long ball over the top of the midfield bisected three Paradise players, with Akeem Chandler then fouling speedy Ellerton captain Shakille Belle. Being the last defender at the time of the foul, a red card was immediately administered.
Ellerton went close to scoring on a number of occasions in the closing minutes. Belle crashed a shot against the crossbar in the 94th minute, before shooting narrowly wide in the 98th, but Paradise held on to clinch a valuable point.
As a result Paradise still lead the league on goal difference from Ellerton on 17 points. Paradise have a goal difference of +16, while Ellerton have a goal difference of +7.
Kickstart Rush and Brittons Hill United are joint third on 16 points, with defending champions Weymouth Wales fifth on 15 points.
In the opening game St Andrew Lions grabbed a critical three points, after defeating Eyre’s Meatshop Pride of Gall Hill 1-0. Torian Joseph got the game’s only goal in the 33rd minute.
