By Neto Baptiste
Bottom of the table Greenbay Hoppers denied championship hopefuls Grenades FC what could prove to be two crucial points in the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association’s (ABFA) Premier Division title race, holding the Jennings men to a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
The draw moves Grenades to 36 points, one adrift of defending champions All Saints United who have 37. Both teams have played 14 matches with five remaining in the group stage of the competition.
Playing at the FA’s Technical Center on the Sir Sydney Walling Highway, Hoppers scored both goals in added time as they came from two-nil down to earn a point from the match.
Eugene Kirwan and Barrington Blake had given Grenades the first half advantage with strikes in the 37th and 39th minutes. Striker Javorn Stevens squandered an opportunity to pull a goal back for Hoppers when he missed from the penalty spot just six minutes after the interval.
The Hoppers men were not deterred however, and goals from Tyree Archibald (90+1) and Yoandir Puga Estevez (90+3) sent shockwaves through the Grenades team and silenced their supporters as the match ended 2-2.
Hoppers moves to seven points from 14 showings, remaining at the bottom of the standings and still in the automatic relegation zone.
Also on Sunday, Garden Stars were comfortable 4-0 winners over Attacking Saints as they move to 28 points from their 14 outings.
Jahred Williams put Garden Stars ahead in as early as the ninth minute before Jevaughn Jarvis increased their advantage just five minutes later in the 14th. The goals kept coming following the restart with Wilton Rhodes netting in the 46th and Ngozie Harvey in the 53rd to hand Stars their eighth win in 14 showings.
In the other match contested Sunday, Old Road were 3-0 winners over Five Islands FC, taking their tally of points to 31 after 14 outings.
Goals from Shackwon Simon in minute 38 and Stefan Smith in minute 40 sent Old Road into the interval as two-nil leaders before Johnathan Shoy put the final nail in the coffin in added time.
The loss was Five Island’s 10 in 14th showings as they remain on 10 points and fourth from bottom on the standings.
