Tier 1 of the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League (SPFL) saw a low-scoring weekend, with just three goals in four matches at Soufrière Stadium. The title race remains close, and Soufrière were the only team to win.
Frontrunners Vieux Fort South, Dennery and Canaries all dropped points. This could open the door for two-time defending champions La Clery, who were idle at the weekend, whilst the distance to the chasing pack closed.
Sitting in third, Dennery settled for a 1-1 draw against Gros Islet. Eden Charles gave Gros Islet the lead in the 18th minute, but Javel Faucher equalised for the eastern contenders nine minutes after the interval in the 54th minute. It was their third consecutive league draw.
In the last match, Canaries and Mabouya Valley finished 0-0. Canaries, in second place, missed a chance to close the gap on the league leaders.
The pattern continued on Sunday as table-toppers Vieux Fort South were held to a 0-0 draw by eighth-placed Anse La Raye. The southern outfit struggled to find fluency in the final third against an organised Anse La Raye backline. Cautions went to Kimlan Mason in the 48th minute and Saviola Elva in the 84th minute for Vieux Fort South, while Jaydin Ezekiel was booked for Anse La Raye in the 86th minute as the points were shared.
Soufrière capitalised on the dropped points around them, defeating Central Castries 1-0 in Sunday’s second fixture. Hanif Antoine scored the lone goal in the 10th minute, giving the host community the advantage.
Soufrière were forced to defend their lead with 10 men after defender Paullkuss Wendel Joseph was sent off in the 74th minute following a second yellow card, having received his first in the 34th minute. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the men from Sulphur City held on to take all three points.
With three draws in four games, Vieux Fort South remain at the top of the table. However, their draw with Anse La Raye, along with Dennery and Canaries also dropping points, means the title race is still wide open.
