Anse La Raye are the champions of the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Super League (Tier 2) following their 3-0 victory over Vieux Fort North in the final held at the Francis Baba Lastic Grounds in Gros Islet on November 15.
Anse La Raye finished the league stage in first position with the best goal difference of 16. Their route to the final, with its $30,000 cash prize, saw them defeat Laborie 1-0 in the semis. Vieux Fort North finished their group campaign in third place and reached the championship match by defeating the Saint Lucia National Under-20 team, who ultimately finished in third place after a playoff match.
The fixture was originally set to be played at the Soufriere Mini Stadium on November 8, but was postponed due to a lightning storm. Both teams, backed by raucous travelling supporters, have now sealed automatic promotion to the Premier League.
In the first period, Anse La Raye had the better of the early exchanges and made them count when a Hanson Frederick strike from outside of the box in the 15th minute got past the goalkeeper, giving the men from the West coast the lead. The goal would be the only one in what was largely a keenly contested 45 minutes.
After the break, another stunning strike, this time by Sagat Ferdinand in the 64th minute, saw Anse La Raye go 2-0 up. A penalty by captain Nangee Philip sealed the 3-0 victory. A Steve Darcheville red card in the 86th minute only worsened Vieux North’s woes.
Jubilant winning skipper Philip indicated in a post-match interview that the team felt “fantastic”, having brought a title back to his home village after such a long time. He thanked the travelling supporters for their continued backing and noted that the on-pitch festivities were merely a precursor to the celebrations set for Anse La Raye long into the night.
