Montrose rules

Montrose United was crowned the 2011 Central Kingstown Nine-A-side Football League champions last Sunday afternoon, June 19, at the Redemption Sharpes Playing Field.{{more}}

Montrose, which blanked Avenues four nil, was facing an equally buoyant Richmond Hill, which beat the previously unbeaten Roseans 6-5 on penalties, en route to the finals.

The soggy conditions at the field did not deter either teams from trying to string their passes together, but it was Montrose that looked the more settled in the opening exchanges.

And, this was transformed into a goal in the tenth minute, when the competition’s top goal scorer Kiko Lorraine added his ninth for the competition when he followed up a shot which the Richmond Hill goal keeper Peter Olliver could not hold on to.

Lorraine became the provider in the twentieth minute when his pin point cross, met the head of Curlan Joseph, who made no mistake and deposited the ball in the net.

This seemed to have deflated the efforts of Richmond Hill, which became flat footed at the back, while their mid fielders lacked the authority.

The Player of the Final, Shorn Lowman, sealed the issue with a fifty fifth minute goal from a resulting free kick, which the Richmond Hill defence failed to negotiate.

In the end, it was the Montrose team that was smiling, as they earned $1000, a trophy, medals and three cases of beverage, compliments the St. Vincent Brewery.

Richmond Hill’s consolation was $500, a trophy, medals and two cases of beverage, also compliments the St. Vincent Brewery.

Docking in third was Avenues, which saw off Roseans, 5-4 penalties, after their third place play off match, which was played the previous day, ended nil-nil in regulation time.

Avenues’ award was complimentary drinks from the St. Vincent Brewery.

Rosean’s Dexter John copped the major award as he was adjudged the Competition’s Most Outstanding Player.

Reynold John of Foreign Base Youths was named the Most Promising Young Player, and capping off the awards was Kingstown Park, which was voted the Most Disciplined Team among the sixteen teams which participated in the league.

Participation was restricted to players living in the Central Kingstown constituency, with guest teams coming from the two neighbouring constituencies, East and West Kingstown.

Organisers, as part of their efforts to forge partnerships, made special provision for the participation of a team from the local constabulary.

According a member of the Organising Committee, Claude Millington, the competition was a huge success, despite the many challenges that confronted them. (RT)