By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
One Love wins battle of former BVIFA champs, 2-1
In a battle between former BVI Football Association Men’s League champions, One Love, after leading for the first 70 minutes, hung on for a 2-1 victory over the Virgin Gorda Sugar Boys, who made a late charge.
Dervel Stephenson and Latriel Williams gave One Love the edge with goals in the 36th and 43rd minutes. Sugar Boys’ Andreas Bailey put them on the board in their 69th as they pressured One Love over the remainder of the game.
“It was a very good win, we needed it for the team. It was a bit difficult as we went down to 10 men in the latter part of the second half, but the boys pulled through and came out with the victory and I commend them on that one,” One Love’s Coach Javon Carty told Island Sun Sports. “It’s been a rough one. We started off on a low because we’re short on players. We’re catching back momentum now and have won four straight games now after losing three straight.”
Carty said the victory was important because it brought them into sixth place in the 10 team standings with 13 points as they go on holiday break. As the season continues in 2025, he said the Goalkeeper did a very good job to keep them in the game and commended him on his play, including saving four goals in the early part of the game., which is a positive they can build on. The midfielder stepped up and scored and their substitute player also came in and scored.
“How the league is going now, teams are scoring a lot of goals and we need to be up there with them to compete,” he said. “It will take wins (to do that), just win moving forwards.”
Derol Redhead said it has been a downfall for his teams as they have won only two games.
When One Love went down to 10 men, they’d hoped to capitalize on that.
“Unfortunately, they held their heads, kept their composure, kept their formation and be4at us 2-1,” he said. “Lately, we’ve had a lot of injuries and based on players’ jobs, they haven’t been able to come out and train so the fitness is a big downfall for us.”
When the first half resumes in January, Redhead said they’ll have players coming off the injury list and they’re hoping to add to their roster via the transfer window.
“The main thing for us is to train, get fit, and once the fitness comes, we know how to play football so we can get back on top of our game,” he said. “Fitness is one of our major things right now.”
From the game, he said they can build on formation, ball possession and patience. “When they went down to 10 men, we tried to run the ball and I think we need to work on that a little more,” he said. “We have to hold the ball, build the play, then we attack.”
Defending champs Wolues went to the top of the points standings after a 4-0 win over Old Madrid. James Mally scored in the 40th+1; Abner Villannueav, 45; Kieran Bown, 60 and Oliver Henderson, 65’.
Lion Heart handed Positive their third successive shut out, 7-0. Tyron Buddah and Cee Jay
Lampart had braces in the 44th and 57th and 80th and 82nd respectively. Tavoy Thomas opened the scoring 8 minutes in and Justic Brown scored two minutes later as Lion Heart built a 3-0 halftime lead. Ajuran Brown rounded out the other scoring in the 75th.
Nigel Sanderson had a hat trick to take the scoring lead with 14 goals heading into the break, as he led Panthers to a 5-2 victory over the Rebels. Sanderson scored in the 16th, 59th and 82nd. Dylano Liverpool connected in the 74th and Regisford Tugel had an own goal in the 77th. Rebels scores came from Nigel Jame’s own goal in the 3rd and Mario Carter’s score in the 74th.
Colin Lavia had a double hat trick in Islanders’ 10-0 drubbing of Avengers. Lavia’s scoring began in the 3rd with other goals in the 36th, 65th, 75th, 88th and 90+1. Other goals came from Shamar Lawden in the 21st, Rogel Noel, (30); Charles Bonnick, (49) and Afernee Johnson, 80th.
