The September 21 Semi-Professional Football League (SPFL) playoff clash between Tier 1 table-toppers Central Castries and second-placed Gros Islet is generating significant hype and anticipation.
These two rival squads will battle for a direct spot in the finals in Qualifier 1 at the Dennery Playing Field.
During the fixture played during the league phase, the men from the capital finished 4-2 victors in a goal-fest encounter.
This historic inaugural campaign has seen remarkable performances from both teams.
Central Castries were undefeated throughout their entire league campaign, while Gros Islet netted an impressive 22 goals as a team, second only to La Clery, with Troy Greenidge and Baggio Edward leading the way with 13 markers between them.
Both teams have showcased standout individual performances as well. Central Castries’ prolific top scorer, Simeon Francis, found the back of the net ten times, accounting for 58% of the team’s overall goals.
Troy Greenidge scored on eight occasions for the northern side, contributing to a memorable league phase.
Ryan Desir, Head Coach of Central Castries, highlighted training as an essential part of his team’s success thus far and an essential ingredient for the further development of the squad.
“We’ve seen our attendance in the main training to be exceptional,” he reckoned. “We have registered 30 players and on a regular basis we would have had 20-23 players training. And that is a step in the right direction, not just for Central Castries, this is a step in the right direction for football locally.”
Shayne Paul, president of the Gros Islet League, emphasised the effort his team is putting in for this crucial fixture.
Gros Islet was the 2022 SLFA Island Cup Premier League champion and the 2019 SLFA NLA Island Cup winner.
“I think we have been preparing well. I think the knockout stages call for a little more effort from both the players and the technical team,” Paul explained.
“And I think slowly we have been achieving that. We’re not going to be complacent about what’s ahead of us. We’re going to take it one game at a time. And it’s just a matter of the players continuing from what they have been doing the whole season.”
It remains to be seen which of these two titans will emerge victorious and achieve the coveted SPFL title.
PHOTO: Castries vs Gros Islet
