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Excelsior survive scare in SGF season opener
February 12, 2025
It was down to the wire for eight-time defending champions Excelsior High as they clipped Merl Grove High 2-1 on the opening day of the ISSA Tip Friendly Society Schoolgirls Football (SGF) competition yesterday.
A brace in added time from Yasheka Lewis rescued all three points for the Eagles after Olivia Osbourne had opened the scoring for Merl Grove in the opening minutes of the second half at the Excelsior High playing field
Excelsior's head coach Xavier Gilbert said his players had unravelled after going behind and he expects their performances to improve as the season continues.
"At times we were rushing and chasing the game, especially after we went down and we made the game a bit more difficult. The players became frustrated and weren't keeping their composure," Gilbert said after the match.
"We're going to get better as the season progresses as we are still missing four or five players. We're going to get stronger but we just didn't want to lose the first game. It's early days so there is still a lot of work to be done," he continued.
Excelsior opened the game brightly as Cassandra Smith came close to opening the scoring but flashed her effort just wide of the post in the 33rd minute of play.
Reggae Girl Destiny Powell also came close to adding her first of the season when she was set through on goal in the 40th minute but sent her shot just high of the crossbar, sending the game level at half time.
Merl Grove would turn the tables on the reigning champions early in the second half when youth national representative Ashbourne gave her team the lead when she beat the onrushing goalkeeper in a foot race to finish into an empty net.
Minutes away from a shock win, Merl Grove saw all three points slip from their grasp when Lewis bagged a six-minute brace in the seven minutes of time added on.
Lewis' first goal came when a loose ball in the box saw her tapping into an empty net before she was once again in the right place at the right time to capitalise on a goalkeeping mistake to bag the winner.
Neo Oxford, Merl Grove's head coach, praised his team for their fight as he said they had stood up tall against the eight-time champions.
"I think football won today. For the first time in the past six years, I've seen a team that came out here and really challenged Excelsior," Oxford said.
"We sent a message today. We fought hard, we had the 1-0 lead but unfortunately we couldn't keep it. But I think this is the start of great things to come."
In the first game of the afternoon, Tivoli Gardens thumped Meadowbrook 5-0 to take control of Zone F with three points.
They sit above Excelsior, also on three points, by virtue of a better goal difference.
