Barbican take 2-0 lead

Richard Bryan, Gleaner Writer

Defending SherWin Williams Women's League champions, Barbican, found two deadly strikes from their marquee players, Jody Ann McGregor and captain Alecia James, in the final minutes of their first-leg final, to ambush Los Perfectos 2-0 on home turf at Brooks Park last Saturday.

In the general passage of play the champions who will host the second and final leg at home in Kingston on Saturday, had to play second fiddle to the Manchester newcomers, who also reached the Knock-out final.

However, Barbican's greater physical conditioning, aided by stronger bodies and experience - which allowed far fewer mistakes - outlasted the Los P women who were undone by critical mistakes.

Longstanding coach of Barbican, Charles Edwards, likened the game to a battle of attrition, where the sronger one held on at the end.

"I thought it was one heck of a game and they gave us a lot of thinking to do with their passing and movement, but I think we were physically fit and would outlast them, and I figured that was the difference in the end."

It was truly a slugfest between the two, which featured contrasting styles where the much smaller, but skilful Los P players manouvered the play with slick passing, while the champions sat back and muslced their way forward with longer passes and more powerful touches. The game looked headed for a gutsy 0-0 draw, until tragedy stuck for the home side.

With seven minutes left, Stephanie Yessius who was having a good day in defence, just could not get out the way of a clearance by her sweeper and seemingly, to the naked eye, inadvertently handled the ball on the edge of the six-yard box.

However, female refreree Cordella Samuels ruled it an offence and immediately awarded penalty. Playmaker McGregor, wearing number 10 and whose battle in midfield against similarly numbered Nuqene Nugent was one of the highlights of the match, stepped up and booted home strongly to the left of goalkeeper Sheena Wint.

The afternoon would end rather distressingly for the home side spectators when in the final seconds of time added, James, also nicknamed 'One Left', drove forward from her position in defence and shot powerfully with that foot from about 40 yards, to beat a crestfallen Wint, who badly misjudged the bounce.