Virgin Gorda Soccer team celebrated their BVI Football Association
Spring League 2-1 knockout victory over HBA Panthers

Virgin Gorda beats HBA Panthers for BVIFA knockout title

by DEAN GREENAWAY

Virgin Gorda, 2002 Virgin Islands Football Association Tournament champions, sailed home with the BVI Football Association’s Spring League Soccer Knockout title after a domineering victory over the HBA Panthers on Sunday. 

“It was an easy victory, but my forwards could have done more scoring,” coach Elvis Demming said. “They just didn’t finish. We had at least 10 clear goals, and those guys failed to finish them. All in all though, we came out with a 2-1 victory and we are the champions.”

Virgin Gorda used goals by Jairo Morris in the 17th minute and Tyrone Noble’s goal in the 49th to exact revenge on the HBA Panthers who won the league tile on goal difference, following a 1-1 draw last week. Panthers Mondale Questelles scored their lone goal in the 60th minute.

Panthers Franklyn Victor picked up a red card after a flagrant foul on Morris, leaving the Panthers to play with 10 men for the final 20 minutes of the game.  Following their loss in the Spring League title game, Demming said they worked on a different plan for the knockout game. He said Virgin Gorda kept the ball in the air too much and were at a disadvantage because the Panthers has taller players. “We tried to keep the ball on the ground and came out with the victory,” he noted.  In explaining his team’s loss, Aubrey Liburd said the first goal Virgin Gorda scored was a simple mistake by the defense and they couldn’t capitalize on it. “Our defense was very weak tonight after losing Wendol Nichols and Brent Samuels who are off
island,” he noted. “Franklyn Victor received a red card after flagrantly fowling
Morris on a breakaway. That was pretty hurtful, because Victor was filling the place of Nichols and we ended up playing with 10 men.”

League coordinator Kenrick Grant it was important for the BVIFA to put on the spring
league to get the players playing again, since last year’s league was canned because
of rehabilitative work to the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds.
“Early next year, we’ll be going into the World Cup qualifiers and we need to play
football and see the players in order that we can select the best team later in the
year,” Grant explained. “We will be selecting a training squad who will continue
training through the fall, so it was important to get this league together. But, we
will definitely have a fall league following August Festival activities and the
field is cleaned up.”