By Neto Baptiste
All Saints United kept their hopes of winning this year’s Premier Division football title alive with a 5-2 triumph over Swetes FC when they met in the feature match of a triple-header at the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) Technical Center on Sunday.
The win propels United to 46 points form 17 showings, two points adrift leaders and defending champions Grenades who have 48 from 17, following their shocking 2-1 loss to FC Aston Villa just 24 hours earlier.
A loss for Grenades in their next match against Ottos Rangers and a win for United, could see the All Saints men clinch the title by just one point while a win for Grenades will see them crowned as back to back champions.
Malcolm Stewart led the charge for United in their latest win, scoring twice with strikes in minutes five and 75. There were single conversions from Tiquan Isaac (33), Kenduka Challenger (84) and D’Andre Bishop (90+4) to land the All Saints men their 14th win of the season.
Karique Knight (54) and Shafeeq Joseph (81) each scored once for Swetes as they remain on 11 points from 17 outings.
Also on Sunday, Pigotts Bullets edged Garden Stars 1-0 in the day’s opening fixture. Isaac Hughes scored the lone goal of the contest when he struck in minute 85 as Bullets moves to 26 points after their allotted 18 matches.
Two players, Tyrai Francis of Garden Stars and Javian Linton of Bullets, were both red-carded in the contest. Francis was sent off in the 12th minute for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity while Linton was red-carded for violent conduct in minute 87. Garden Stars are seventh with 25 points after 17 matches.
In Sunday’s other clash, former champions Old Road FC and Greenbay Hoppers FC played to a 4-4 draw. Rodney Lawrence (15, 48) and Stefan Smith (22, 46) both scored twice for Old Road while Javorn Stevens (37, 87 penalties), Da Paul George (20) and Yasney Torres (69) scored for Hoppers.
Old Road’s Carlos Molina was sent off in the 86th minute for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.