by Carlena Knight
The first day of matches in the Over-40 Football League got off to a great start on Sunday afternoon at the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association’s (ABFA) technical facility in Paynters.
It was a packed crowd at the ‘the turf’ as several teams recorded wins on opening day.
Despite some great saves from goalkeeper Derrick ‘Pretty Boy’ Edwards, Up & Over FC led by former national player Kerry Skepple recorded the first win of the competition edging out Tun n Bang FC 3-2.
Turf Masters, who feature Prime Minister Gaston Browne himself, got the better of colleague Sports Minister Daryll Matthew and Golden Grove Masters with the largest win of the night, a 5-0 thrashing, while Extraordinary Men could not live up to their name as they suffered their first loss of the season to Dun Bar FC, 3-1.
The feature encounter of the night did not disappoint fans as both teams were evenly matched but, despite several chances by both Legacy FC and Westham FC, the teams had to settle for a one-all draw.
Eight teams – Tun n Bang FC, Up and Over FC, Turf Masters, Golden Grove Masters, Legacy FC, West Ham FC, Dun Bar FC, and Extraordinary Men – all of which will feature many former players and other stars will battle it out.
The 11-a-side competition will see the eight teams facing off in two rounds of 80-minute matches, with a cash prize of $5,000 for the winners, and $3,000 and $1,500 for second and third place up for grabs.
