By Neto Baptiste
Young Lions recorded their first win of the 2023/24 domestic football season with a narrow 2-1 triumph over Bendals FC when they met in the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) First Division on Tuesday.
Playing at the body’s technical centre located on the Sir Sydney Walling Highway, Young Lions went ahead in minute 11 via a Marcus Joseph strike. Bendals drew level 10 minutes before the half when Darren Stevens struck from close range.
The ‘Round South’ men were however determined to take all three points from the contest and a 54th minute strike from Akeem Mason was enough to hand the Lions their first win in nine matches.
They however, still sit at the bottom of the standings with just three points while Bendals remain on nine points and eighth on the 11-team standings also after nine showings.
Also in the First Division, Jennings United picked up their fifth win in 10 matches when they beat former Premier Division champions, Liberta Blackhawks, by a 2-1 margin.
United took the lead on minute 48 via a Kemon Samuel strike but the celebrations were short-lived as former national player Lennox Julian equalised for Blackhawks just seconds after the restart. The home team however found the winner in minute 51 when Daryl Massicot struck the back of the net.
The win lifts Jennings United to 17 points from 10 showings as they remain in the top five on the standings while Liberta remains on six points and second from bottom.
Meanwhile in the Second Division, former three-peat Premier Division champions, English Harbour, blanked Real Blizzard 6-0 when they met at New Winthorpes.
Oshane Blackwood led the charge for Harbour with four goals, netting in minutes 15, 25, 38 and 57. He had assistance from Yakira Hughes and Nigel Graham who both scored once, netting in minutes 24 and 32 respectively.
The match between Soccer Academy and Celtics FC contested at Radio Range ended pre-maturely after a fight allegedly broke out between fans and players of both teams.
At the time, Soccer Academy led the fixture 2-0 with Keyondre Hewlett and Michael Peters scoring in minutes five and 13 respectively.