Piton Girlz fall in WIFA female football final

Saint Lucia’s Piton Girlz were beaten 2-1 by Barbados’ Lady Tridents in the final of the Windward Islands Football Association women’s tournament on September 20, at Arnos Vale Playing Field in St Vincent & the Grenadines. It was the first loss for Saint Lucia, who had beaten Barbados by the same scoreline in their opening game.

Saint Lucia had the better of the early exchanges, but in the 32nd minute, they sustained a major blow. Already hit by several injuries, necessitating the absence of key players from the final, the Piton Girlz lost starting goalkeeper Kenna Lionel, kicked on the right leg and taken off on a stretcher.

Replacement custodian Renala Francis acquitted herself well, but in the last minute of regulation time in the first half, there was little she could do to stop Rianna Cyrus. The prolific Weymouth Wales forward snuck in between four defenders and poked the ball into the far corner, an opportunistic strike that gave the Lady Tridents their first lead over Saint Lucia.

Predictably, it was Krysan St Louis with the equaliser. In the 59th minute, a Shamalyn Albert clearance found Amaya Emmanuel, who sliced the defense open with a pass to the streaking St Louis. The Vieux Fort native did the rest, stroking the ball into the lower left corner.

Both teams were briefly reduced to 10 players in the 73rd minute, as Saint Lucia captain Cassandra Shepherd clattered into a Barbados attacker from a throw-in. Shepherd would play no further part in proceedings. In the dying moments, Saint Lucia narrowly avoided disaster, as Barbados’ shot went over the bars from point-blank range in the 85th minute.

The Bajans kept pouring on the pressure, however. And that pressure finally told in extra time, as Taryn Sutherland got past Francis for the winning goal. 

Saint Lucia finished with two wins and a draw in the preliminary rounds. St Louis was the team’s top scorer, with four goals. Four other players had one goal each.