OLD ROAD ADVANCE TO PREMIER LEAGUEFINALS WITH DOMINANT WIN OVERNEWTOWN
MFCR Old Road United Jets have secured their place in the National Bank Group-sponsored
SKNFA Premier League Finals after a commanding 3-0 win over Honda Newtown United in Final Four Playoff action on Wednesday, May 6, at the National Bank Group Technical Center. Old Road talisman Tiquanny Williams scored a hat-trick in the 46th, 56th and stoppage time to secure dominant victory. Both teams ended the match with players sent off—Old Road losing
Trevor Hanley and Nejohn Brown sent off in the second half picking up two yellow cards and Newtown’s Kimron Browne being sent off in the first half.
Following the victory, Old Road Coach Alexis Morris praised his team’s resilience in a hard- fought contest.
“I will just use one word to summarize tonight's game. It was pressure. If I stay here and say like that it was not a pressure situation, I'd be lying,” he said. “I told my guys in the locker room before we came out, that you will be pressured. We will have some sort of pressure because there's a lot of things that we are trying to solidify. You're talking about going on unbeaten
season. You're talking about getting into a final two. You're talking about a lot of firsts. And so therefore, there must have been some sort of pressure.”
Morris noted that at halftime, he addressed the team about their mentality and approach, which led to a significant improvement in the second half.
““But like I told my guys, yes, there'll be pressure, but you have to use the pressure as motivation, as momentum. And I thought that after the first 45, being able to talk to them in the locker room, we saw a big difference. We saw a drastic change in the team,” he added. “We were determined to ensure that we solidify ourselves in the finals and win the second ballgame. And I must say that my guys went out there, they stuck to the task, they rode the wind, they stood the
tide, and we were victorious tonight. So, kudos to the MFCR, Old Road United Jets. Finals, here we come.”
The result also keeps Old Road unbeaten in the Premier League heading into their final preliminary-round match before the finals.
Meanwhile, the race for the second finals spot remains wide open after Azul Cayon Rockets surrendered a 1-0 lead to draw 1-1 with Development Bank St. Peters in the earlier match. Malik Hendrickson gave Cayon the advantage late in the second half, but Rocco Browne capitalized on a defensive mistake minutes later to rescue a point for St. Peters.
Cayon Assistant Coach Anthony Isaac admitted his side struggled under pressure and said they must now deliver against Old Road in their next outing.
“Even though we were trying to go ahead with two goals, we pressed forward and slip up and we got caught on a counter-attack,” Isaac explained.
St. Peters Technical Director Austin Huggins commended his players for their determination and pressure on Cayon, which earned them a crucial point.
“We would have liked to get three points... and at least score a few goals so that in the event we might have to come down to goal average, we would have been in a more favourable position.
But the guys did well to pull the game back, especially in the latter part of the game. We changed the formation and pushed more men forward. We were able to get a goal. But like I said, we're going to keep working and looking towards the next game and trying to win and score as many goals as possible,” Huggins said. The preliminary round of the Final Four Playoffs concludes on Saturday, May 9, when Development Bank St. Peters take on Honda Newtown United. Although Newtown have already been eliminated, St. Peters can still mathematically qualify for the finals with a convincing victory and for the other result to go their way. The feature match will see already-qualified MFCR Old Road United Jets face Azul Cayon Rockets. Cayon need a win to guarantee a spot in the finals, though a draw could be enough depending on the outcome of the St.Peters/Newtown clash. Gates open at 4 p.m. for both
