Premier Youth League climaxes

Head of the Villa Lions Soccer Academy and former national footballer, Sowerby Gomes, believes the inaugural Premier Youth Soccer League achieved its objectives, allowing the country’s best youth players to hone their skills in a competitive and organized environment.
Villa Lions came out on top in the 7 and under category followed by North Coast and Swalings while in the 9 and under category, North Coast won the top prize followed by Fundamentals in third and Villa Lions holding the second runner up position.
Villa Lions dominated the competition, according to Gomes. He added however, that a number of other teams showed constant improvement throughout the various competitions.
“In the 11 and under category we have Villa Lions winning that particular category, North Coast coming second and Fundamentals. In the 13 and under, Villa Lions again winning, Fundamentals coming second and Ottos Rangers coming third. In the 15 and under, you have Villa Lions winning following Fundamentals and North Coast and in the 17 and under category, which is the seniors, we have Fundamentals winning, Villa Lions coming second and Urlings Football Club coming third,” he said.
Gomes said they were able to complete the competition within 12 weeks, two more than originally anticipated.
“We were able to bring the curtains down in the final game of the under-17s and we were very happy to have had a successful youth league. We said we were going to complete within 10 weeks but we happened to run to 12 weeks because we had to break for two weeks due to cricket. But we had a very successful league; and we’re very happy and just elated of all the teams who took part and the level of discipline they brought to the league,” he said.
The former Villa Lions defender went on to thank a number of the stakeholders whom he said played crucial roles in the success of the competition.
“The referees in particular, played a pivotal role in our tournament and in making it a success. They were the ones who brought order to the play because this football league is a very emotional league, high in competitive nature and the referees are the ones who really brought the standard to where it was and I am very happy that they could have come on board,” Gomes said.
“The Antigua & Barbuda Football Association who sanctioned this particular league and the EMS team, so we are so happy for all these stakeholders who made this particular league what it is,” he added.
The Premier Youth Football League started in January this year.