By Neto Baptiste
Freeman’s Village Scorpions will play in the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association’s (ABFA) First Division competition during the 2024/25 domestic season after reaching an unassailable 54 points with a 2-1 triumph over rivals Bethesda FC on Monday.
Playing at the FA’s Technical Centre located on the Sir Sydney Walling Highway, Scorpions built a two-nil advantage going into the interval with goals from Daruis Hector in the ninth minute and Kahlique Kellman in minute 45.
Striker Chunsae Martin pulled Bethesda within one when he struck in the 65th minute but they could not find a second conversion that would have seen them take at least a point from the contest. Bethesda was down a man on minute 60 after Chevez Davis picked up his second yellow card.
Scorpions could get to 57 points with a victory in the final match slated for next week. Bethesda remain on 40 points from 22 matches and seventh on the standings.
There was victory as well for Golden Grove as they picked up a crucial 3-2 win over Sea View Farm to move to 44 points.
Te’rique Smith (26), Tyler Anthony (67) and Nyique Baptiste (81) all scored once for Golden Grove while Rhezal Gomes (18) and Markland Wright (41 penalty) netted once for Farm. Farm remain second on the standings with 49 points.
In another crucial match-up, Urlings FC edged Soccer Academy 2-1 at Urlings.
Kion Jackson scored both goals for Urlings with strikes in minutes 43 and 71 as they move to 44 points and still in the hunt for a playoff spot. Michael Peters scored the lone goal for Soccer Academy when he struck in minute 32. They remain on 41 points.
FC Master Ballers also continued their push for automatic promotion with a commanding 6-1 trashing of English Harbour to move to 49 points.
Kluivert Ferdinand led the charge for Master Ballers with a hattrick, scoring in minutes 75, 76 and 80. There were single conversions from Shareem Richards (26), Gawayne Allen (49) and Brandon Satchell (65 penalty). Oshane Blackwood scored the lone goal for English Harbour in the 37th minute as they remain on 36 points.
