WESTERN SPORTS - Navy rule Norwood

WESTERN BUREAU:

Navy Sports Club of Dallas in Glendevon, St James, crowned themselves champions of the 2013 Norwood Achievers Five-A-Side football competition on Sunday night when they clipped defending champions Wareika Hill 2-1 in an epic final at Norwood's basketball court.

In a game played before a large and enthusiastic crowd, inclusive of Jamaica's opposition leader, Andrew Holness, and Member of Parliament, Dr Horace Chang, the Navy outfit sealed their win through goals from Eron Shields and Christopher Brown. Rushane Reid got Wareika Hills' consolation goal.

"Wareika Hill defeated us 1-0 in last year's final, and we have been preparing since then for tonight," said Fitzroy 'Saxie' Minott, CEO of Navy Sports Club. "Now that we have tasted victory, we will be coming back next year in search of more glory."

Achievers' trophy

By virtue of their win, the Navy team took home the Norwood Achievers Trophy and the $30,000 winner's purse.

Warieka Hill, which have contested all four finals since the inception of the competition, took home $20,000 for their second-place finish.

"We are really disappointed with tonight's result ... . We gave up two soft goals and in the end it cost us," said Reid (Rushane), captain of Wareika Hill.

"We had won this competition two times and really wanted to make it three. We will be gunning to do better next year," he added.

In the play-off for third, which took place as the curtain-raiser to the final, Faithful SC blanked City Stars 3-0. Cedric Reid, Christopher Samuels and Kevin Goulbourne netted the goals, which ensured the team the $15,000 third-place money.

In the final, which was an epic affair, Navy had the better of the early exchanges and took the lead when a speculative long-range shot by Shields in the 10th minute eluded goalkeeper Kevin O'Connor, making the half-time score 1-0.

With Wareika Hill battling hard for the equaliser to start the second half, they were caught on the counter-attack and conceded a second goal when Brown's long-range effort flashed past the goalkeeper, making the score 2-0 in the 30th minute of the game, which was played over 40 minutes.

With time running out, Wareika Hill gave themselves a lifeline in the 35th minute when skipper Reid dribbled around two defenders and cracked a fierce shot past the goalkeeper, making the final score 2-1.

In the presentation ceremony that followed the final, the main awards were as follows: Most Disciplined Team - City Star; leading goalscorer - Garfield Hall; Most Valuable Player (MVP) - Eron Shields (Navy); third place - Faithful; second place - Wareika Hill; and champions - Navy.

- Adrian Frater