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Boys’ Town make winning start in KSAFA Championship
December 16, 2024
Last season's champions Boys' Town FC turned back beaten Major League finalists Duhaney Park 2-0 as the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Championship League kicked off on Friday with a doubleheader at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.
With the four finalists from last season's Championship and Major Leagues clashing on opening day, Boys' Town made sure they started on on a winning note through goals from Raheem Porter (second minute) and Ronaldo Livingston (18th).
In the second match, last season's beaten Championship League finalists Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and Major League champions August Town battled to a 1-1 draw.
Sheldon Kogbeer scored for the JDF, while Ika Hudson got August Town's goal.
Boys' Town's coach Leon Hardware and Duhaney Park's coach Keneil Hyde said their teams gave a creditable display, but admitted there is a lot more work to be done.
"It was a good game. But we are not where we want to be. So we had to work hard and we did that and came out victorious and we really appreciate the win," commented Hardware.
"They are not fit as yet. So the game took its toll on them. By the next game we will pick it up a notch and as we go along we will see how far we can go."
Hyde noted that the inclement weather affecting the island for the last month or so had severely affected their preparation, but believes the chances they created throughout the game is reason to be positive.
"We have to put in some more work. We played well, especially in the second half. We got a lot of chances. We just didn't put them away. We just have to work on that," he said.
"Hopefully, we will have some good weather going forward so we can put in some work. But we created a lot of chances and if we put them away it could have been a better game," Hyde noted.
In the opening game, the JDF wasted numerous opportunities, especially in the first half and their coach Donovan Dennison said they deserved all three points.
Nevertheless, he pointed they are now aware of what aspects of their game need work.
"This result is not the result that we wanted. But this is the start of the season ... and we have a point on the table," Dennison noted.
"I am pleased with the effort but we have to go back and put in some more work because we created numerous chances in the first half.
"Last season we scored 40-odd goals from 24 games and we are getting the chances. But it seems as if we need eight or nine chances before we score one. So the chances are coming at a premium, we just need to put them away. But we will work on it and see what happens for the next game."
His August Town counterpart, David Laylor, was encouraged by the performance of his young, inexperienced group.
"It's a favourable result. Most of these players have never played competitive football before. These are just youngsters in the community with the talent, so getting this point against a JDF team that went to the final of the Super League, although we went to the Major League (final), this shows that they have the heart to compete and the talent to go with it," Laylor analysed.
"You could see them growing in confidence towards the latter part of the game. I really feel encouraged because this is only after three weeks of training, and I think these guys will go very far," he said.
In other Championship League games on the weekend, Constant Spring and Shortwood drew 1-1, Olympic Gardens defeated Maverley/Hughenden 1-0, Brown's Town beat Santos 1-0, while Real Mona turned back Barbican 3-2.
Meanwhile, in Major League action yesterday, Red Hills United FC beat Liguanea United FC 1-0, Maxfield Park FC defeated Seaview Gardens FC 3-1 and Cooreville FC thumped Pembroke Hall FC 7-0 in Zone A action, while in Zone B Mountain View FC triumphed 2-0 over Bull Bay FC, and New Kingston FC edged Allman/Woodford 1-0.
