The first-ever Saint Lucia Semi-Pro Football League (SPFL) Tier 1 championship game was played on Saturday evening at the Dennery Playing Field, La Clery defeating previously unbeaten Central Castries 3-1 in a very eventful game between two teams on the rise.
Just two years ago, La Clery won promotion to the Island Cup Premier League, then the uppermost echelon of inter-district football on island. The boys from Castries North played unbeaten in the then Super League, winning all eight games in the second division.
In the two years since, La Clery finished runners-up to Gros Islet, then beat Dennery to lift the last edition of the now defunct Premier League title. With astute recruiting and clever coaching, La Clery had squared the circle, rising from virtual obscurity to stardom.
The ascendancy for Central Castries has been even more sudden. Football has a heady history in the capital, but since the glory days of the eighties, the most recent inter-district league tournament victory for Central was in the 2011 season.
This year, Central Castries ended the league phase unbeaten, scoring 17 goals and allowing only five in eight games to top the table. La Clery won five of nine games, scored 23 times, and conceded seven to finish fourth. Central Castries won their regular season matchup 2-1.
Coming into the final after overcoming Gros Islet in Qualifier 2, La Clery had a number of enforced changes, due to suspensions. But coach Zaine Pierre has always praised his squad for its depth and tenacity, which they displayed to full effect on Saturday.
In the event, backup goalkeeper Ray Demille conceded in the 11th minute. Former youth international Jamal Wilfred has made a habit of netting timely goals, and he jumped on a spilled Demille save from a Marcalan John shot to put Central up 1-0.
La Clery ratcheted up the pressure, though, leading to a yellow card in the 19th minute for Castries captain Emmery Edward, making his return from injury. The Castries goal-scorer then earned an ejection in the 30th minute, seeing red after getting in the referee’s face.
Down to 10 men, Central Castries soon conceded. Just inside the 18-year box, Shaquille Degazon drove low and across the face of Castries custodian Aaron Daniel to even things up. At halftime, the score was 1-1, but with La Clery holding a man advantage.
The boys from the capital kept pushing forward to start the second half notwithstanding their personnel deficit. Young international midfielder Shaquan Nelson kept driving the team forward, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
Finally, 11 minutes from time, the advantage told. Aaron Daniel spilled a save from a long pass, and Mervin St Romain pounced on the loose ball to make it 2-1 La Clery.
With six minutes of time added on, Central kept committing men forward, searching for the equaliser. Instead, they conceded in the third minute of injury time, Andrus Remy smashing it past Daniel and setting off the celebrations.
Remy, a former Saint Lucia international, was shown consecutive yellow cards for excessive celebration. A minute later, and the other scorer, Degazon, was also sent off for a violent tackle, as was Castries captain Edward, seemingly for retaliation.
A great contest surely deserved a much better conclusion. The first season of the SPFL is in the books, with plenty of lessons to be learned for the League and its participating teams. But La Clery will be justifiably proud to have made history once again.
Photo Credit: McAllister Hunt
