TIGER TANKS Club Sando confirmed their dominance over AC Port of Spain women when defeating their arch-rivals 2-0 on Friday night at the Arima Velodrome to lift the Women’s League Football (WoLF) Inter-Island Cup.
Goals either side of half-time by striker Dennecia Prince (31’) and Afiyah Cornwall (71’) saw the Southern team complete the extended 2023 season unbeaten.
The Inter-Island Cup matches the champions and runners-ups of the Trinidad-based Claire George Conference of WoLF against the champions and runners-up of the Tobago-based Jamilya Muhammed Conference.
It was the second win for Club Sando over AC PoS in three meetings for the 2023 season, the first match ending in a draw. Club Sando finished as Trinidad champions with a comfortable 3-0 win over AC PoS late last year.
The Trinidad teams also dominated their Tobago opponents at the semi-final stage; AC PoS defeating Tobago champions Jewels 3-0 while Club Sando decimated the Tobago runners-up, Black Panthers, 7-0.
Among those who attended Friday’s final were national women’s coach Richard Hood, former T&T Pro League CEO Julia Baptiste, as well as former national players Ricarda Nelson and Tasha St Louis.
What was on display was plenty enthusiasm if not very good football, with Club Sando often not being able to put together two good passes for long periods of the first half, but having plenty potency up front. To their credit, the finalists were not in season, the competition due to take place at the end of the league late last year.
Former youth striker Prince was good on the night, holding up the ball, and she opened the scoring with a powerful low shot from atop the penalty area, which slipped through the grasp of goalkeeper Mikael Yearwood. Renee Mike almost got Club Sando a second, a minute into first-half added-on time, her shot from outside the penalty area crashing onto the crossbar.
Also looking good for Club Sando was Khadidra Debesette, intercepting passes in central midfield and starting the counter-attack. However, playing in an unaccustomed more central role, skilful winger Alexcia Ali struggled on the sodden Velodrome turf and was eventually taken off.
It was only deep in the second have when Club Sando final killed off AC PoS. Prince again got the ball on top and shifted it wide to Cornwall, who did the rest, dribbling past several players and scoring with a low shot.
Left winger Shakeema Forestine was AC PoS’s biggest threat on the night, combining well with tall striker Bianca Mungalsingh. Forestine almost carved out an equaliser for AC PoS in the 34th minute, with her cross just flashing past the outstretched leg of Daneelyah Sandy on the far post.
With her team having fallen behind, Forestine cut inside in the 78th minute, her shot then going off the fingertips of goalkeeper Keri Myers, and onto the crossbar. AC PoS applied some late pressure and anxious moments in the Club Sando goalmouth, while at the same time always looking vulnerable to conceding a third goal themselves.
SOURCE: T&T Express