Adrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
BLACK DIAMOND qualified to contest next season's Captain Bakery Western Super League on Sunday when they finished atop the 2005-06 St. James Hart & Son Senior Football League, following a crushing 7-2 win over Champions in their final game at the Urban Development Corporation field in Montego Bay.
"This is an absolutely wonderful feeling," said Damion Haughton, captain of the Black Diamond team, which qualified for the senior league last year after winning the St. James/Sandals division two competition. "It was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it."
In what was a clinical display, the Black Diamond team, which completed their fixtures with an unassailable 45 points, one more than second place Seba, were well served by a brilliant performance from striker Fitzroy Reid, who scored four times; substitute Omar Roaches, who scored twice, and Gavin Troupe, who got the other goal.
With just a number of rescheduled games to be played, the top four places in the 12-team competition reads: Black Diamond 45, Seba FC 44, Catherine Hall 37 (with one outstanding game to be played) and Champions 36.
EARLY EXCHANGES
After enjoying the better of the early exchanges, Black Diamond finally got on the scoresheet in the 25th minute when Troupe penetrated the Champions defence with a neat dribble and fired out of the reach of the goalkeeper, giving his team a 1-0 lead.
Black Diamond doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Reid unleashed a torrid long range which eluded the goalkeeper, making the score 2-0.
However, Champion struck back a minute later when Richard Edmondson scored from the penalty spot after a Black Diamond defender was penalized for handling the ball, making the half-time score 2-1.
The second half belonged to Reid, who made goalscoring look easy as he added to his first half goal with further strikes in the 64th, 65th and 67th minutes. His third goal, which was struck from the half-line with ferocious power, was a gem as the goalkeeper could only look on in disbelief.
Champions got a second goal in the 70th minute when substitute Andre Brown scored moments after entering the field of play. However, Black Diamond had the last laugh as their substitute Roache struck in the 74th and 77th minutes to make the final score 7-2.
