It sounds like a broken record but once again perennial rivals Super J Northern United and Orion will square off in the final of the Gros Islet Football League St Lucia National Lotteries “Spida” Cup on Sunday at the Gros Islet Playing Field.
Both teams won their semi-final games on Thursday evening in Gros Islet. In the first semi-final Orion defeated Glace GMC United 3-0.
This semi final clash failed to live up to the pre-match hype as GMC tried to outrun Orion in the middle of the field and lost out to experience. It was expected that GMC would spread the ball wide and use their pace to tire the Orion defenders. Instead they tried to bore thru the centre and came up short.
Neither side showed much construction with the ball. Possession was a fleeting fancy which reduced the first half to a mad ball scramble. Tyson Paul got the benefit of the doubt in the 40th minute and hammered home to give Orion a slender 1–0 lead which they took into the interval.
On resumption GMC threw caution to the wind in an attempt to equalize. That strategy backfired when Vard Daniel popped up to score in the 77th and 82nd minutes to seal the issue for Orion and give them a 3–0 win. Glace GMC will now face Sea View Freedom Brothers, who lost the other semi final, in the consolation match on Sunday at 2.30pm.
In the second semi-final that followed, Sea View Freedom Brothers ensured that Super J Northern United had a fight on their hands when they took the attack to them from the opening whistle. This unsettled the normally crisp passing game of Northern resulting in uncharacteristically sloppy ball control and hasty decision making.
Nevertheless, Northern went ahead in the 29th minute when Melvin Aurelien delivered a pin point cross, that Eden Charles thundered off the crossbar on to the waiting boots of golden boy Troy Greenidge who made no mistake. The score remained 1-0 at the interval but not before Jonathan Alfred and Tafari Charlmagne entertained the crowd with some deft dribbling skills, that threw the normally solid Northern defense into fits of panic that nearly resulted in goals.
After the interval it was the turn of Justin St Clair to torture the Northern defense but Sea View could not find the back of the net thanks to stout defending from goalkeeper John Perry Joseph.
Northern made it 2–0 in the 60th minute when the Sea View keeper misjudged a bouncing ball. Greenidge despite falling had the presence of mind to keep watching the ball. He guided it into the net as it dropped, carrying his tally to 18 goals in 9 matches so far.
Sea View threw everything into attack but were unable to score and the game ended 2–0 in Northern’s favour.
So there you have it after semi-final wins by Northern and Orion the grand finale between the two teams is Sunday starting at 5:15pm. Orion will fancy dethroning the defending champions especially since they have conceded only one goal in their last six games and boast five clean sheets.
Northern on the other hand have scored 50 while only allowing seven and feel they have too much fire power for the Orion side. Come Sunday it will be Raferty Noelien of Orion and his supporting strikers taking on John Perry Joseph, Lennon Verdant, Jonas Maxius and the rest of the Northern defense, while Troy Greenidge, Eden Charles and the improving Melvin Aurelien are sure to keep the likes of Sherman Sylvester, Elam Joseph and keeper Ray Demille busy.
Prior to the final, the consolation between Glace CMC and Sea View Freedom Brothers will be played at 2:30pm.
