Goals from Shakeema Forestine, Anique Walker and Shakeema Forestine helped Police registered the first victory, a 3-2 win over Club Sando in the T&T WOLF's Football League which kicked off its 2019 season at UTT O'Meara Campus Grounds on Saturday.
All three goals came in the first half, but Club Sando which played with more purpose in the second half got an own-goal from Tia Henry and the veteran T&T standout Ahkeela Mollon further reduced the deficit. However, with 28 minutes to play the southerners could not muster another item to even seek a share of the points, whikle their defence contained every attack Police threw at them in the second stanza.
However, before the on-field action Susan Joseph-Warrick, the newly elected president of the organisation addressed the gathering with comprised 12 teams in the Premiership and First Division - Police FC, Club Sando, QPCC, St Augustine FC and St Augustine Juniors, Trincity Nationals, Defence Force, Malvern, Central Women, UTT, Tobago Chicas and Jewels FC.
She said, "I want to welcome everyone to the opening of the 2019 Women’s Football Season. We expect that it will be a competitive one and will go a long way in helping to prepare our local players for the next level of football. As you all no doubt know, it is important that girls are given the opportunity to play sports at a competitive level and it is our goal to increase the available opportunities for them to do so. This competition is where our national players come from, except for those who reside abroad, so we must remain committed to its’ growth."
Joseph-Warrick continued, "We want to ensure you that the women’s league is only one event among many that we have planned. TTWOLF, as many are unfortunately unaware, is responsible for the development of women’s football in T&T, not just the running of a league. We cannot fund national teams, at least not at present, but we can ensure that the players making those are better equipped to succeed, or at least able to make the transition easier. To this end, it is our goal to host more competitive events, fun events to attract more women and girls to the sport, community outreach initiatives to build our fanbase and off-field activities to help with the holistic development of our ladies.
TTWOLF needs the support of all stakeholders. We urge corporate T&T to get on board, the government to support, The TTFA to bridge the gaps in national team development, fans to come out and players to play to the best of their ability, with the highest degree of sportsmanship. We also want to remind players that while seeking the public and corporate Trinbago’s support, it is also important to support your own first. As we open this competition today, the FIFA Women’s World Cup is taking place, and we lament the fact that our girls are not in France. That while we are happy for Jamaica, we feel that it should have been us, given how close we have come on many occasions."
RESULTS
St. Augustine 2 (Aaliyah Prince 35', Chrissy Mitchell 84') vs QPCC 2 (Stephanie Woo Ling 4', Jessica Harragin 42')
Police FC 3 (Shakeema Forestine 10', Anique Walker 14', Shakeema Forestine 35' vs Club Sando 2 (Tia Henry (OG) 63', Ahkeela Mollon (p) 72')