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By Samuel Peters
After nine inches of rain pummelled Antigua and Barbuda in the early hours on Friday due to the effects of Tropical Storm Jerry, matches in the Ministry of Sports Business League Football competition were postponed this week, with many fields across the island left waterlogged and unplayable.
The postponement comes at a crucial juncture in the competition, with five rounds of matches completed and several teams emerging as early frontrunners across the four groups.
In Group one, Sandals and Galley Bay Ballers share top spot with eight points each from four matches. Sandals have the superior goal difference at +10, having scored 12 goals and conceded just two, while Galley Bay Ballers sit on +7 with 10 goals for and three against. Blue Waters are close behind on seven points from three matches, remaining unbeaten with two wins and a draw.
Group two sees Ministry of Agriculture and Fresh Acres Enterprise locked together on nine points apiece. Both teams have won three and lost one from four matches, though the Ministry of Agriculture edge ahead on goal difference (+6 to +4). Ministry of Tourism occupied third place with seven points from four matches.
Postal Services have been the most impressive team in the entire competition, leading Group 3 with 11 points from five matches. With three wins and two draws, they boast a tournament-best +10 goal difference, having scored 13 goals and conceded only three. Their dominance is powered by Josue Ne’ Mar Arias, who leads the competition with six goals. HMP United sit second on nine points, while CHAPA Warriors are third with seven points from just three matches, remaining unbeaten.
Group 4 features APUA Telecoms at the summit with a perfect record of three wins from three matches for nine points. Their striker Dorgis Lara has scored four goals to sit third in the Golden Boot race. A&B Port Authority and defending champions Hermitage Bay both have seven points from three matches, with A&B Port Authority holding second place. The defending champions have endured a difficult start to their title defense and will need to rediscover their form when competition resumes.
The race for the Golden Boot is led by Josue Ne’ Mar Arias of Postal Services with six goals, followed by Immigration’s Kemoi Walsh on five goals and APUA Telecoms’ Dorgis Lara with four goals.
League organizers have confirmed that the Business League Football competition will resume on Wednesday, weather permitting. Groundskeepers have been working to ensure that fields are playable following the deluge. With several groups featuring tight races for top positions and the defending champions facing an uphill battle, the resumption of play promises exciting matchups as teams jockey for position heading into the crucial latter stages of the tournament.
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