AS the STAG/East Bank Football Association (EBFA) Senior League winds down, the quest for top honours is interestingly poised.In results from the penultimate day of play, yesterday at the Grove Playfield, Agricola Red Triangle edged Soesdyke Falcons 3-2 while Kuru Kururu Warriors hammered Diamond United 8-2.
Agricola ended the match with 9 players, following red cards to Lionel Rover in the 55th minute and Mark Phillips in the 90th minute just after the match was blown off; Phillips attacked Soesdyke player Kevin Sobers with a hockey stick; Sobers was also issued a red card by referee Keith Roberts.
Soesdyke could not have made the one-man advantage work for them as Agricola played as if they had their full complement of players. The Lower East Bank side took the early lead when Sheldon Williams scored in the 28th minute, a well-placed shot to the right of goalkeeper John Steele.
That advantage stood until the second half even as Soesdyke, who controlled most of the action in the first half, missed a plethora of opportunities. However, the upper East Bank side were able to draw level within six minutes of the second half, thanks to a Ulato Smith strike.
Two minutes later, Soesdyke took the lead for the first time in the match when Colin McLean breached the Agricola defence and outsmarted custodian Shemroy Kendell.
Agricola found themselves under more pressure when Rover was red-carded by referee Roberts. Rather than playing as if they were down, Agricola found the energy which allowed them to play as if they had not lost a player.
They (Agricola) evened things up in the 62nd minute when captain Winston Rollins took matters into his own hands. He first scored from the penalty spot sending Steele the wrong way. The sealer came in the 71st minute, again scored by Rollins, to complete his double. It was Agricola’s third win with a similar amount of losses as they ended the league with 9 points – the same as Soesdyke but with a better goal difference.
Saturday’s opening match produced the biggest win for Kuru Kururu Warriors in their final match, an 8-2 triumph against the winless Diamond United.
The Warriors which placed second in the inaugural Beach Soccer League two Sundays ago, meant business from the first whistle, as it only took them three minutes to take the lead. Rakesh Haimnauth scored the first of his two goals as he tucked the ball into the right corner away for goalie Andre Gibbs.
Haimnauth then completed his brace in the 18th minute from the penalty spot, again beating Gibbs. The Warriors increased the lead to three goals when Kevon Walker walked into the limelight with the first of his hat-trick in the 29th minute.
But it was Gibbs who netted back-to-back penalties for Diamond United in the 32nd and 33rd minutes, competently hitting past his opposite number, Ethan Sparman, to pull his team within striking distance.
The first half ended with the scores untouched, KK Warriors enjoying a one-goal advantage over Diamond, 3-2.
In the second half, however, the Linden/Soesdyke Highway-based boys who have displayed a high degree of discipline and fitness by simultaneously competing in the Beach Soccer and EBFA Senior leagues did not allow Diamond any latitude as they went on a goal-scoring spree with six unanswered goals.
Christopher Alleyne in the 54th, the consistent and reliable Cordel Johnson four minutes later, Mario De Freitas in the 68th and Walker in the 61st and 70th to complete his hat-trick all inked their names on the score sheets for the Warriors, capping a fine season with three wins, 2 losses and one draw.
They also have the distinction of being the only team to beat defending champions Grove Hi Tech to date. They also achieved a similar feat when they defeated eventual Beach Soccer champions Royal Youths in the final match of the league.
The STAG/EBFA League will come to an end with two potentially action-packed matches on Sunday to determine the league’s winners.
Grove will have all to play for when they oppose Mocha Champs from 13:30hrs while Herstelling Raiders who have enjoyed a bumper league thus far will bring the curtain down on the senior league when they play Diamond United.
A loss for Grove and a win for Herstelling would see the latter cap a dream season in the championship. Fans are in for a treat.

Latest Points Standings
Team P W D L GF GA GD Points
Grove 5 4 0 1 14 5 +9 12
Kuru Kururu 6 3 1 2 15 7 +8 10
Herstelling 5 3 1 1 7 7 0 10
Agricola 6 3 0 3 15 11 +4 9
Soesdyke 6 3 0 3 13 13 0 9
Mocha 5 2 0 3 9 8 +1 6
Diamond 5 0 0 5 2 24 -22 0