By Neto Baptiste
Coach of the Antigua and Barbuda senior women’s football team and former national player, Karen Warner, said the Benna Girls’ road to the title in the Leeward Islands Challenge Series held in Anguilla was, by no means, an easy walk over.
Antigua and Barbuda beat hosts Anguilla 4-1 on penalty kicks after regulation ended 1-1 at the Raymond E Guishard Technical Centre located in the Valley.
“From game one to the final game, it was really tough. There were no easy games, we had to work so the standard was really good. Playing amongst the Caribbean is always a rivalry. It was the best of the best in the Caribbean so for me, I think it’s borderline over the top and the level has risen so it’s not like before where we would meet St Kitts and it was going to be a walkover, or we’d meet a Dominica and think it would be a walkover,” she said.
The Benna Girls were beaten one-nil by Anguilla when they met in the preliminary round of the tournament. Warner said the staff had to go back to the drawing board to ensure the team’s success in the final.
“We had to go back to the drawing board in terms of what is our weakness, where we lost the game. We have video analysis and made the decision as to where we needed to stop Anguilla and to be honest, we did that,” she said.
The coach, acknowledged the contributions by all involved, driving home the message that it was an entire team effort.
“To the players, I’d like to say to the ones who made the team and the ones who did not make the team, without them it would not have been possible. To the coaching staff, well done because they were great, magnificent and I couldn’t ask for a better coaching staff. My assistant coach, Lorraine Charles, thanks for the eyes and for seeing the things I did not see, she was there spot on for everything. To my goalkeeper coach, Nikisha Samuel, to my manager Esther Anthony, the physio Anya Allen, kit manager Lakeisha Samuel, to my trainer McClean Lawrence and to the ABFA, I must say that once we called they delivered,” Warner said.
Striker Gabrielle DeSouza was awarded the Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot awards, while captain, Anik Jarvis and Jada Benjamin won the Best Goalkeeper and Best Defender awards.
