By Samuel Peters
The 2024-25 Antigua and Barbuda Football Association Season has been filled with many high-scoring matches showing the dominance of teams in the various divisions. On Wednesday it was no different when Golden Grove travelled to PMS for a Second Division encounter against home side, West Ham. It ended up being a one-sided affair in which the hosts were run weary as they helplessly conceded 16 goals. The chief architects of their demise were Stephen Hughes and Tyler Anthony who scored double hat tricks.
The opening goal was scored by Hughes in the second minute before Anthony responded with his first two conversions in the seventh and tenth. With the scoreline reading 3-0, the home team struck back with a goal of their own, scored by Vaughn Roberts via a penalty kick.
However, an onslaught like no other was launched at the hapless West Ham side as they saw veteran player Justin Periera score in the 20th, Arnel Walsh in the 23rd, with Hughes registering his hat trick in the 27th. It didn’t take long before Anthony registered his just some three minutes later. When the half time whistle was blown the scoreline read 7-1.
The second half saw a total of nine goals scored with both Hughes and Anthony adding hat tricks to the first half hat tricks they scored earlier in the match. The two competed neck and neck, pound for pound making sure one didn’t get too far ahead of the other. When Anthony added his fourth goal in the 50th, Hughes added goals in the 52nd and another in the 55th while Anthony scored in the 60th.
With both players having both scored a handful of goals, it didn’t take long for them to both complete their double hat tricks as they were scored in the 62nd and 65th minutes. The remaining two goals were scored by Attian Fabian in the 65th and Terrence Spencer in the 79th. Matches on Thursday and Friday 19th and 20th December were postponed to a later date for the observance of funerals.
