Junior Dowie/ Staff Photographer
General Manager of Sherwin Wiilliams, Ian Forbes (right), presents the trophy to Portmore Strikers captain Denise Duncan after yesterday's women's football league second leg final against Barbican at Spanish Town Prison Oval. The match ended 2-2.Raymond Graham, Freelance Writer
THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS, Portmore Strikers, retained their Sherwin Williams women's football title when they played out a 2-2 draw with Barbican at the Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday.
Following their first leg 1-0 final win, the Keith Lattimore-coached team finished 3-2 on aggregate.
Lattimore was delighted by his team's success.
"We knew what we had to do to win this game as with our one-goal cushion we were confident that we would be victorious," said Lattimore.
However, Lattimore was upset with the national coaches.
"Our players were very tired before halftime as the national coaches took the players during the week and had them doing long running and this affected our players," he said.
Losing coach Charles Edwards blamed complacency and lack of commitment on his team's failure. "After taking a 2-0 lead the girls were too complacent and they failed to put away their chances. They had the wrong attitude and this resulted in them not winning," said Edwards.
Despite coming into the game with a one goal lead the Portmore team had to play second fiddle to their opponents. With the inclusion of overseas-based Camille Burrell it was the Barbican team which took the fight to their opponents and two quick goals by striker Jodi-Ann McGregor in the 17th and 25th minutes put them in the lead.
Despite taking the lead this did not deter the Portmore team as Tashana Vincent in midfield in tandem with Venica Reid, skipper Denise Duncan and the ever cool Rochelle Bryan ran rings around their opponents. After controlling the game ,they pulled back a goal in the 39th minute when Bryan scored a clinical header from a corner kick.
It was an exciting second half as both teams played well and, following forward raids, Barbican paid the price for an error in the 18-yard-box. Reid benefitted as she kicked powerfully past 'keeper Pansy Lawrence from inside the area to draw her team level at 2-2 and a 3-2 overall lead.
