St Vincent first, St Lucia second at Women’s Football Tournament

Grenada did not successfully defend their Windward Islands Women’s Football title, but instead delivered a death blow to the Saint Lucia team who were on the verge of winning the title. Last Saturday was the final day of the three-day tournament which took place at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground (DSCG), with Saint Lucia needing a win or tie to claim the championship.

However, Grenada, with nothing to lose, were footloose and fancy-free, and shut out Saint Lucia in a crucial game 2-0. It was a heartbreaker for the Saint Lucia team and their fans, who felt the championship was well within their grasp. Grenada relished their role as spoilers. In an interview following the match, their Captain, Grace John, although disappointed Grenada did not defend their title, was pleased that the team ended the tournament on a high note.

In the final analysis, Saint Lucia finished with two wins and one loss, having defeated St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and Dominica for second place. SVG, who defeated Dominica 4-0 prior to the Saint Lucia vs Grenada game, came away with the title. 

In the first game of the double header on Saturday, SVG came out firing on all cylinders to register an enthralling 4-0 victory over a hapless Dominica team. The victory saw them being crowned Champions of the Tournament.

SVG, who accumulated three points from two matches in comparison to Saint Lucia with six points, also from two matches, knew their only hope of securing the championship was to ensure a massive victory against their opponents, which they did in grand style.

SVG began the game in attacking mode and surged ahead in the 11th minute with a goal by Ericka Hooper. Before the dust could settle, it was 2-0 as Hooper completed a brace in the 45th minute to signal the end of the first half.The second half saw a rejuvenated Dominica team mounting some form of resistance which was negated by the determination of the Vincentians.

They extended their lead to 3-0 in the 77th minute with a goal by Chryslin Brown. With all eyes firmly set on the championship, Brown completed her brace in the 85th minute to place SVG firmly in the driver’s seat with a comprehensive and exciting 4-0 victory.

Saint Lucia, having witnessed the stunning display by team SVG, knew that they had to pull out all the stops to defeat defending champions Grenada in order to secure the title. On the other hand, the Grenadians entered their final fixture determined to redeem themselves in this tournament. In an all-out attack from the opening whistle, they surged into the lead with a goal by Carena Noel in the 5th minute of play. Despite Saint Lucia’s attempt at gaining the equalizer, Grenada extended their lead with a Shaniah Johnson goal in the 25th minute. No further goals were scored and the half ended 2-0.

The resumption saw team Saint Lucia fighting desperately to get on the score sheet. However, a determined Grenada team wouldn’t allow them and, despite the pendulum swinging back and forth, Grenada clung on to their 2-0 advantage. When the final whistle sounded, it was a disappointed Saint Lucia team settling for second place, up one notch from their performance in 2018.

Following the completion of the tournament, the following awards were presented: Best Defender, Zeanna Charles (SVG); Best Midfielder, Merissa Charles (Grenada); Best Goalkeeper, Atticia Benn (SVG); MVP of the Tournament, Atticia Benn (SVG).